still on the leash of madness

still on the leash of madness

 

 

dogs in a wasteland

tails between legs of broken logic

guttural growls of dissatisfaction

 

limping like mongrels with hyena feet

iambic lines of lame laughter

we are stray 

beasts of selves

victims of our own trust

 

the system doesn't feed the mutts

only the show dogs get recognition

and those trophy wielding dobermans

 

are one party dogs, 

obliterating the masses

and leaving the rest of us

not even one poor bone

to gnaw.

 

 

 

erin-cilberto

10/21/16

Reviews

[Paul Bell]

I suppose to keep the masses happy, there has to be something on the bone.
But as they say in Britain. The money trickles down the way.
They don't actually say how long this takes of course.
I'll ask my trophy wife.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

a long long time....thanks for the smile, Paul.
j.

[W.k.kortas]

"(O)ne party dogs" is a wonderful, if somewhat chilling phrase, which cuts to the bone (pun intended). Your literary legerdemain is hitting on all eight here.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind review, W.k.

j.

[andrew mitchell]

You have to be a cat to survive this one,you may need nine lives. A power full punch of a write Jacob.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

sylvia plath thought she had nine lives, as well.

thank you, andrew.

j.

[Einstein Noodle]

some great imagery here ..love the hyena's feet .. brilliant says i! we have come to a very sad place indeed ..this year the past hints and ambiguity have come into sharp focus ..but it seems to do no good ..a lie is a lie yet it comes to naught .. over and over .. and the rigging is proven yet no apologies .. we have lost our rudder a long time ago :((( the dobermans i have known are sleek and ripple with power just under the skin ..are tight lipped and frightening .. your application of them is spot on for me ..powerful commentary ..
E.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your spot on insights, and kind review, E.

j.

[Sami Khalil]

With the political season in high gear and the loss of honor and dignity we come to expect from top leaders, you bring us into the downtrodden reality we are facing. The compass and compassion need greasing and correction. A powerful write , Jacob....:::))))

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind words, Sami...

j.

[Sami Khalil]

You are welcome. .....::::))

[redzone]

I had to llaugh at Al's comment, "mutt"... and Margie's "slobber".... anyway... we are "curs" aren't we... but they have made that leash tighter (more a choker than a leash) and what I am beginning to see again even as they choke us even harder, is that they are beginning to stand further away from our bite, once again throwing out a few bones to those "respectable" collies to tell us to behave.... they drive us mad and then blame us for being mad... I love my foaming mouth, love seeing them worry about it and one day, oh I hope it is soon we will break those leashes and have bones for everyone.. gnawing away here Jacob... thanks for a bone of a poem!!!

redzone

[jacob erin-cilberto]

what a great reply...you guys have given comments that are way better than the poem itself...thanks for that.

[Alfred Kukitz]

Well done, it reminds me of trenches and four paws trying to get out of the damn ditch. Good luck mutt!

Regards,
Al

[jacob erin-cilberto]

wow, yes, it might do that...thank you for your kind review, Al..

j.

[A hare off]

It's a dog's life and here we are barking up the wrong tree.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes, we are, aren't we?

thank you, A hare off.

j.

[Ed Hart]

this is all very well said, a clever selfie...whose hand do you suppose in on the leash? certainly not another person, not for a grown up boy like you

[jacob erin-cilberto]

true, Ed....but it isn't like the sixties now...we sit and heel and bark a little...but we don't protest like we used to.

thank you for your words...

j.

[Ed Hart]

i hear talk about the sixties, but i missed 'em, bottom to top...

[barleygirl]

As soon as I saw the title, I had to click on this. I've been in the throes of madness for weeks. I'm reading you on the level of everyday life & the way it twists our guts around, as well as seeing the political implications so nicely subtle but stated with unmistakable clarity. I'm enamored by your canine metaphors which just about made me cream my jeans, it's all so nicely connected with lots of slobber & alliteration & imaginative variety ("tails between legs" . . . "guttural growls" . . . "limping mongrels with hyena feet") . . . this is the poster child for what I'm constantly harping on in many of my reviews about crafting words with an almost outlandish sense of freedom instead of reaching for clichés. You are so far outside the dots sometimes I can't even understand everything you write. But this one, I get every word with impact. Woof! Woof! That's all I can say as I slobber on your toes awhile.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

that's okay...these aren't my "Sunday go to meetin' shoes"---:)))

thank you for your very kind review, barleygirl.

j.