Description
the onion growing from my elbow was my heart failing
the asparagus protruding from my spinal cord was liver disease
the potato eyes penetrating my fingernails were dementia
the other vegetables were a myriad of indistinguishable illnesses that I would eventually die of
the harvest was a celebration of my decline
a bounty growing amidst the destruction and decay
their roots drank from my disease
we decided to make soup despite it all
as we had just purchased a discounted crockpot and we were hungry enough at the time
we filled the ceramic interior of the pot with tap water and set it to keep warm
with hopes that the water would inherit the flavors of the vegetables soon enough
and we would drink in my suffering to soothe our hunger
my wife delicately tugged at the protrusions
painfully extracting each for the creation of a soup made without joy
her fingers worked with the diligence and coldness of a butcher
and blood flowed freely at times when roots were picked or trimmed too hastily
but neither of us acknowledged its presence
later that night I would use a handful of paper towels to quietly mop up the mess my body had created
we looked at the water full of vegetables for some time
neither of us had much to say about me dying or the soup created from that dying
maybe we were both just hungry
we fell asleep in each other’s arms that night, hoping that the soup would taste good even though we knew it wouldn’t
hoping my disintegration and submission would be as seamless as the ingredients disappearing into the warm embrace of the water