at the table

at the table

 

 

 

i have a boat, and a Mercedes Benz

and hear Janis cheering in raspy song

 

but God didn't buy either for me

i succeeded on my own

 

became a rich investor in dreams

played my cards better than Doc Holliday

 

and cleared the table

leaving all my loved ones in my debt

 

poor souls only wanted love

but i was always a draw ahead

 

the fastest philanderer

amassing

without the slightest prayer

 

and when i stand at the gate

with all this to show

there will be not nearly enough water

to sail that boat, only tears rusting the hull

 

and the car may no longer start

but my regrets will

as the ghostly faces sitting at the table

watch me lose it all.

 

 

erin-cilberto

9/29/19

Reviews

[Laura Kate]

Materialism. Such a strong voice here but not an accusing or judgemental one, just simply observing and pointing out what will wealth and materialism matter when we reach our final days? What does all of the selfish seeking and fighting amount to in the end? It's good to think about what is really important. It will be too late when we get to the gates. I certainly don't want to have any regrets when it's my turn.
Laura

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your insightful words, Laura...
j.

[CD Campbell]

Excellent wording. Some people believe there is a winner in the end, but having amassed a bunch of s**t on your death bed doesn't give you one more second than you deserve. Think you pointed that out pretty well. Good stuff, j.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you, CD...
I would rather just have a good friend or two around at the end...and i would feel just fine leaving with nothing else.
appreciate your words,
j.

[Kelly Scheppers]

The Benz is hard to beat, but then again, so is Janis. I swallowed hard on that line, about tears rusting the hull. I love your voice in this, Jacob. Like all your pieces, it runs circles in my head.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your very kind review, Kelly,
j.

[Edie Blue Starfish]

How we perceive value and define being rich generally changes as we grow older and realize material things don't fill certain voids.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

it certainly does change, Edie...it certainly does...thank you for your words,
j.

[Pryde Foltz]

We all die penniless in a way. The secret, I suppose, is know how to live rich. Great story-telling, Jacob.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your words, Pryde,
j.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

In our consumer-driven society, this is a message that the young never appreciate until they get older. I always wonder, when I see people living in fancy houses and driving expensive cars, how it lords over them. The debt keeps you working to pay debt and to continue creating more. It's an ugly cycle.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

it is definitely an ugly cycle...money, one way or another, can be such a headache.
thank you for your insightful words, Linda,
j.

[Michael Oliver]

What profiteth a man if he inherits the whoe world and loses his immortal soul - beautifully transcribed Jacob and again Thumbs up

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Amen...thank you, Michael.
j.

[barleygirl]

Stunning Janis opening to drag us in forcefully. The braggadocio lines harken to those who look me up on FB after so many years & the only thing to say is bragging on possessions they've amassed, as if that's their life's definition. The older I get, the less I care about possessions . . . but for some, losing how they've defined their identity may fuel desperate gasps you depict at pearly gates! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i appreciate what you are sharing, Margie...i have never cared about having things, but more so about having people in my life...friends, loved ones, always much more important than amassing huge quantities of stuff.
thank you for your words,
j.

[VelvetPotato]

Material possessions are always replaceable. Good character isn't. On judgement day, will you have anything to show for your time on Earth?

Good stuff.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

exactly...thank you, Velvet.
j.

[Ted Kniffen]

You gotta know when to hold em!!
Our friend at the table made some bad choices ... in the end he'll die alone, thinking still he's far ahead of the game, but he's double downed on heartache without realizing that what he choose to leave behind was the true fortune.
Pity.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your insightful words, Ted,
j.