That Spoon

My dad had never used that spoon before–

it had a hole centered in its wooden bowl.

My sister had done something wrong. “Now you’re

going to get a spanking, sweetie, though

it hurts me more than you.” So to her bare

rear end he slapped that shallow spoon; it snapped

with stinging force — she screamed and where

it struck a welt drew red, a circle like that

new spoon’s round hole. That single swat was all

dad gave. Because as Sarah cried, he dropped

that spoon and hugged her close; and through her bawl

he said, “I’m sorry, my sweetie, and I will not

ever use that spoon again.” So right there and then

he snapped that spoon in half with his bare hands.