where do assholes come from?
are they born, or made, or brought
from somewhere with a bent thumb?
and is this condition genetic and
should i get checked because i’m certain my father never got
tested but my little brother has his special brand
of bullshit and privilege i’d like to think
i’ve avoided but i ought
to step away from their brink,
and stomp out the last bit of my ego
like so many busted bottles bought
on the nights i let it all flow
out and lose my ability to backtrack
but i’m stuck with a knot
the size of my father’s fist in my back.
Jonathan Krystopolski, originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a senior at the University Park Campus studying political science, philosophy and creative writing. He has previously been published in “From the Fallout Shelter,” where he won the Editor’s Choice Best Poem Award, and “Fission.” When he isn’t staying up all night doing homework or writing, Jonathan can be found playing D&D and spending money he doesn’t have on his record collection.