the coldest part of the zoo undergoes mobile warming

the coldest part of the zoo undergoes mobile warming

 

 

archives

of past lovers

Oldsmobile's comfortable back seat trilogies

 

different co-stars,

but the lips, the hands, the burning skin

much being similar history

 

i never was much on anthropology 

in school,

but away from the desks, the cafeterias

and the penguins smashing fingers with rulers

it's an intriguing subject

 

especially when the fingers started 

moving again

and the windows became unclear lines of morality.

 

 

erin-cilberto

1/20/19

Reviews

[andrew mitchell]

I'm glad I went to a public school, those Christian schools were too regimental for me, somewhat based around cruelty and there was an underbelly of paedophilia which has only come to the surface now from those Catholic schools. Nice writing J as always a pleasure to read and ponder on.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your words, andrew,
j.

[Kelly Scheppers]

I remember my mother talking about her catholic school stories, "the penguins smashing fingers with rulers". Ouch!! My mouth must have dropped to the floor every time. It was usually paired up with the fact that they had to walk to school in 20 feet of snow just to find out schools were closed. Lol, mind you I never fogged up any windows! ; ) Hey, my uncle was on the police force, so I pretty much grew up right as rain. ...and hesitant to do otherwise!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

never fogged up any windows? the nuns would warn you not to fib, Kelly...:)

[Kelly Scheppers]

Lol, shhhh!

[Ted Kniffen]

Hmmm...Had a few run-ins with the penguins myself...which was difficult for a protestant boy.
I do recall many a warm night parked along the Detroit River watching the 'submarine races'...can never remember who won.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

ah yes...i think both often won...thank you for your thoughts, Ted,
j.

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

Good to see new poetry from you. Makes me think of how some of the wildest people I know come from Christian schools.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your words, Dale,
j.

[Einstein Noodle]

ahahahaha ..love this jacob! great fun read for me ... i remember way back when (in my 60s;) some fogged windows and the lights of a patrol car just missing the action ... a zoo indeed! in a very good sense says i .. funny how, truly way back when, ... the penguin quickly became extinct in the male of the species and did far too well in the female ... things have changed tho haven't they jacob ... when my kids were in school i worried just as much about me daughters "protection" as i did me sons ... :{ fun read ... lots of memories .. the Oldsmobile was my Da's #1 choice ... :) lucky me :)))))))))))
E.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes, my dad too...on the Oldsmobubbles...

thanks for sharing...appreciate your comments, my friend.
j.

[Norman 223]

In our young days, Jacob, the penguins, WERE the rulers. But corporal punishment was only for the Headmaster to administer. Psychological sadism was the mode of these "underlings", yet somehow, the system worked. Look at how we "prospered".
But I have to agree, anthropology certainly helped :-)
N

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i agree with all you said, Norman...we needed the discipline...didn't we?

[VALORMORE DE PLUME]

We got full on swats on the behinds and I laughed in their face, until the time I left a book of matches in my back pocket. Now that literally burned my but. The class fell out of their seats laughing and the teacher got worried. I made no issue of it, because my dad was much harsher than any teacher. I was 15. Left school that day at lunch and hitched from Ohio to California. The cops caught me in Indiana. Things went downhill from there. My own fault. I had to grow up fast and fight to stay alive. At 17, moved into a hippy commune with 19 girls and two other guys. Learned more there than in school. The prodigal son.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes, i often think i learned more out of school than in..thank you for sharing your story, Valormore...
j.

[Chris Shaw]

Oh my you have taken me on a trip. Back seats of cars, fumbling early romance. And then those penguins with their rulers. We certainly had enough of them, but me being a goodey two shoes only saw it, did not suffer the pain. My brother frequently did. A lifetime ago. Thank you Jacob.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thanks for sharing...your brother and i both had the sore knuckles..
j.

[Chris Shaw]

I can remember the sting in his eyes, though he never complained of the hurt. Miss him so much.

[Lyn Anderson]

Gotta hate a penguin with a ruler. Met a couple. Came home from math with sore knuckles.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for sharing, Lyn...those were the days...or were they?

[Lyn Anderson]

Yeah, exactly. Nostalgia is relative.

[redzone]

you know Jacob, perhaps I am just being nostalgic, but I seem to remember that there was much more 'morality' found in the back seat of that Oldsmobile, than could be found in any of those penguins and their rulers or rules... they had no idea what love was.. neither did we, but we sure wanted to find out... ;0)

anthropology rules... er… I mean.... loved your poem Jacob... ;0)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes we surely did want to find out...

thank you, Curt,
j.

[Patricia Wedel]

We have an internal source of judgement that knows what is natural and good, and not to be misunderstood. Bravo truly, Pat