Onions evoke emotions, whether you love them or not.  Not many food items bring a person to tears with such intensity and I can only wonder why the powers that be selected this one.

Despite their immense fragrance and a hate/love relationship we have with them, they have been used for thousands of years as natural healers in poltices and preparations and in humble chicken soup.

The paper thin outer layer has very little fragrance and takes time to peel back with nimble fingers.

The next layer slides off with some ease and still no tears down my cheek.

But I take up my knife and breach the first slice and instantly, or so it seems, a silent spray drifts up to loosen my eyes.

I halve the globe and the intensity is increased unless I turn it upended on the counter or douse it under running water.

Continuing to make incremental slices into chops, the tears now fall like rain down my cheeks.  Layer after layer of onion skins work to bleed me of my tears . . . and I am drained.  I am …. reduced to tears.