I Have To Bury the Monster!!!……..by Robert M. Katzman
© September 29, 2011
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“The Monster has Died!!
I have to bury the Monsterâ€
Says the man who keeps the lies
I have to Bury the Monster
The Terrible One who shreds lives
Tears, crunches, slaps, punches, bites
The one who hits with leather belts and buckles
The one who shatters personalities
The Destroyer of Children
The Destroyer of Marriages
I am the Keeper of Lies
I have to Bury the Monster
No one must ever know
About Bonnie & Bobby
Charm
She had Charm
Beauty
Wit
The Life of the Party
She was
 Artistic
Popular
Persuasive
and
In demand
She wore a Mask
The Mask came off
At home
I have to Bury the Monster
To live secretly in terror
Prisoners of madness
No corner was safe in a house
When the Monster went hunting
 Her children her only prey
The Keeper of Lies and his sister Bonnie
Have to Bury the Monster
Have to meet the Rabbi
And tell lies one more time
We speak to the Rabbi
Praise her virtues
Her values
Her popularity
Something begins to crack
Within the Keeper of Lies
The Keeper requests Bonnie leave the room
She leaves, closes the door with a hush
I Turn to the Rabbi
Tell him the truth
The Rabbi’s Professional Mask
Shatters
His jaw drops
My ugly truth not welcome
The Keeper of Lies
Hands the silent
Horrified Rabbi
The final lie
The loving Eulogy
And a large check
The Keeper of Lies says:
“I wrote the Eulogy
You read it
You keep the money
That’s the dealâ€
Both rose
Shook Hands
A contract sealed
Lies to be buried with the Monster
The Keeper of Lies turned
Left the room
The Rabbi’s wide eyes
Staring at his back
The words were read
The people smiled
They laughed
They cried
The Rabbi was very good
But not as good at lying as
The Keeper of Lies
The Monster is Dead
We have to Bury the Monster
It is almost the end
The Casket is lowered into Concrete
A mound of Black Earth
Piled high upon the ground
A long-handled shovel
Ready for the Mourners
To show their respect
Each Person shoveled 3 times
As tradition dictated
The Keeper of Lies watched the ritual
It was happening too s-l-o-w-l-y
We have to Bury the Monster
Now!!!
The Keeper of Lies stood up
Shaking
A Bleeding Child bursting from within him
Eyes ablaze
Silently Shrieking:
“We Have to Bury the Monster!!!â€
And together
The two of them
Grasped the long-handled shovel
From a Cousin
Pushing him away
And began to shovel the dirt
The shovel became a blur
Dirt flying into the grave
Falling like rain on the Polished Casket
As the Keeper of Lies
And the Bleeding Child
Became a Machine
And the Mourners watched the madness
Uncomprehending
Sweat poured into the Keeper’s black suit
Not sweat
Ancient Tears
Drained from his body
Streaming down him
Entering the Earth
He has to Bury the Monster
Bonnie sat like stone
Seeing nothing
Saying nothing
His scars on the outside
Her scars on the inside
A woman hollowed by horror
And as the shovel swiftly dug into
The diminishing mass of Earth
His Aunt moved toward him
The good one
The sane one
The only one
And she embraced himÂ
“Bobbyâ€
She whispered
“You don’t have to do thisâ€
“You don’t have to do thisâ€
 But the Keeper of Lies struggled to escape
From her loving armsÂ
“We have to Bury the Monsterâ€
Both of them cried
The Man and the Child
But the Aunt wouldn’t release them
“Bobby!â€
Cried the Aunt
The Good One
“She’s Dead!!â€
“Let her Die!â€
“Free Yourselfâ€
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They let the shovel fall from their hands
The Bleeding Child accepting
Melting back inside the Man
The man straightening
No longer struggling
To be free from his Aunt’s
Embracing Arms
Then
All at once
The Poisonous Lies
Ripped away
From the Keeper of Lies
The Thousand Words
Falling like a
Black Shroud
Into the open grave
Covering all of the soft dirtÂ
Separating the Man
And the Child
From the Monster
Â
Turning away from his Aunt
Turning away
From his Mother’s grave
No longer
The Keeper of Lies
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Katzman’s online non-fiction stories: www.DifferentSlants.com
Poetry? For me, writing poetry is not an option.
It’s a response to emotion. Like cigarette smoke,
it’s fast-flowing, shapeless and with little time to capture it.
Writing poetry in an imperative. I say what I feel compelled to say.
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I’m also available for hire to read my true Chicago stories to organizations
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I am currently seeking an agent to do more readings.
Feel free to call me at (262) 752-3333
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