Back then the package still had bars,

[matsunosuperfan]

Back then the package still had bars,

we called them animal jail
crackers. By the age of seven
you had seen the circus, looked past pretty lights

and hurdy-gurdy men to see
the curtained truth: you knew
it had to hurt the polar bear, the ape

to live like this, the sawdust floor
whose splinters always bloomed with crystallizing piss,
that yellow, endless popcorn smell

instead of sky, a cage. You’d frown,
pull your ballet socks up, then eat them
anyway—how good it felt to feel no guilt

looking in the lion’s eyes
before you, in your shameless hunger
took another life.

[dukealien]

Back then the package still had bars,    interesting solution, first line as title... it works

we called them animal jail   nice line break eliding that his is about the box they came in
crackers. By the age of seven  another good break for the coming turn...
you had seen the circus, looked past pretty lights  from "we" to "you" and foreshadowing the change in attitude

and hurdy-gurdy men to see  good images
the curtained truth: you knew  perhaps something to do with canvas rather than "curtains," which  is a little soft for purpose
it had to hurt the polar bear, the ape  

to live like this, the sawdust floor
whose splinters always bloomed with crystallizing piss,  splinters really from the boards underneath, but good evocation of the nitre there
that yellow, endless popcorn smell  interesting jolt - expecting the smell of urine

instead of sky, a cage. You’d frown,  another jolt, reading "smell instead of sky"
pull your ballet socks up, then eat them  "ballet socks" an interesting, unresolved image... then the confusion of eating the socks (g)
anyway—how good it felt to feel no guilt  another turn here from sensitive to plight

looking in the lion’s eyes
before you, in your shameless hunger  really, you mean appetite rather than hunger, but that switch is to purpose
took another life.  good, shock value remains (but looking into the tiny molded eyes of an animal cracker?  still works).

In basic critique, the only reservation I have about the work is its switch from "we" to "you" near the beginning.  After first-person, the narrator thereby pushes all the less pleasant emotions and shamelessness onto the reader - as well as asserting that the reader, at seven, had such feelings.  Which is effective, getting him involved, unless he notices the sleight.  It's kind of a "recovered memory" game, useful unless it creates rather than recovers.  Here, it is artfully and effectively used.

(Speaking for myself, I remember those paper-cardboard boxes of "Barnum's Animal Circus" crackers with the little handles you could fold out of the top, and wheels at the bottom (the idea was circus wagons that used to parade through town when the circus came - long before my time).  The cookies never had much flavor - more of a souvenir of the circus, which by my young days could be had at the grocery store.  On the issue of eating animals, I once upon a time pontificated about confusing ideas with things - the starlet who vehemently opposed wearing fur but nevertheless wore a leopard-print bikini, the *idea* of animal skin.)

Good job of leading the reader through some changes.  If you used a separate title, it could be something like "Kid Chow" or a reference to the flimsy boxes, but better.

[matsunosuperfan]

Back then the package still had bars,    interesting solution, first line as title... it works

we called them animal jail   nice line break eliding that his is about the box they came in
crackers. By the age of seven  another good break for the coming turn...
you had seen the circus, looked past pretty lights  from "we" to "you" and foreshadowing the change in attitude

and hurdy-gurdy men to see  good images
the curtained truth: you knew  perhaps something to do with canvas rather than "curtains," which  is a little soft for purpose
it had to hurt the polar bear, the ape  

to live like this, the sawdust floor
whose splinters always bloomed with crystallizing piss,  splinters really from the boards underneath, but good evocation of the nitre there
that yellow, endless popcorn smell  interesting jolt - expecting the smell of urine

instead of sky, a cage. You’d frown,  another jolt, reading "smell instead of sky"
pull your ballet socks up, then eat them  "ballet socks" an interesting, unresolved image... then the confusion of eating the socks (g)
anyway—how good it felt to feel no guilt  another turn here from sensitive to plight

looking in the lion’s eyes
before you, in your shameless hunger  really, you mean appetite rather than hunger, but that switch is to purpose
took another life.  good, shock value remains (but looking into the tiny molded eyes of an animal cracker?  still works).

In basic critique, the only reservation I have about the work is its switch from "we" to "you" near the beginning.  After first-person, the narrator thereby pushes all the less pleasant emotions and shamelessness onto the reader - as well as asserting that the reader, at seven, had such feelings.  Which is effective, getting him involved, unless he notices the sleight.  It's kind of a "recovered memory" game, useful unless it creates rather than recovers.  Here, it is artfully and effectively used.

(Speaking for myself, I remember those paper-cardboard boxes of "Barnum's Animal Circus" crackers with the little handles you could fold out of the top, and wheels at the bottom (the idea was circus wagons that used to parade through town when the circus came - long before my time).  The cookies never had much flavor - more of a souvenir of the circus, which by my young days could be had at the grocery store.  On the issue of eating animals, I once upon a time pontificated about confusing ideas with things - the starlet who vehemently opposed wearing fur but nevertheless wore a leopard-print bikini, the *idea* of animal skin.)

Good job of leading the reader through some changes.  If you used a separate title, it could be something like "Kid Chow" or a reference to the flimsy boxes, but better.

What a generous critique, thanks for the effort. Yep, that is exactly what I remember as well.
Your leopard bikini is a great impulse, you should write that poem.