Detroit

Detroit

             a brand spanking new 1967

automobile

just burnt out frame

      wheels of bleeding rubber still spinning

with cries against the past

turning key  

to a future that won't start....

      the battery of the present 

dead                        dead                           dead.

erin-cilberto

5/22/2021

Reviews

[John the Baptist]

Seems to refer to the Detroit riot of the summer of 1967. As I recall, it was one of the worst of a time of riots. The cries against the past and the future that won't start are probably nods to the situation of the rioters in that grim summer. Now we are going through another time of riots. Deja Vu?

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes, Deja Vu all over again....exactly.
thank you for your understanding, John.
We seem to be voices who are listening to each other....but outside of us poets...is anybody else?
j.

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

Ps I thought of s and g song baby driver

[jacob erin-cilberto]

ha ha ha..."Scoot down the road, what's my number? I wonder how your engines feel bop bop bop..."

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

You forget that the ignition can start at any given time with the right key
I don’t think the batteries are dead just yet Jacob
Great write ✍️

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind words, Julie,
j.

[Kerra]

I can hear this one spoken out loud, this is really good.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you Kerra, for your kind words,
j.

[Paul Bell]

Strange thing, power, when you've got it you sure don't want to give it up. Now and again you give out concessions, but they're always just for a short time and things generally get back to the old ways just like before.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your insights, Paul,
j.

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

Just like everything else they don't mae cars what the use to None built today will ever be considered a classic.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you, Cowboy...
j.

[Ted Kniffen]

I remember that riot quite well. Windsor is just across the river from Detroit and many of our firefighters went over to help. I was with the Windsor Star at that time and had the sports run of papers to the newsstands in Grand Circus Park. Needless to say that was the end of that service.
I would have been that boy "born and raised in South Detroit" since Canada is South of the US at that point.
It has taken 50 years but the city is recovering.

Such turbulent times ... terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

Maybe it was just the age.

Good one j.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I agree...probably the age...everything seemed exhilarating then.
maybe we didn't know better, maybe we did...and now we don't.
thank you, Ted,
j.

[Chris Shaw]

I know there were riots in Detroit in 1967 Jacob and no doubt much stuff was smashed up and burned out. I am thinking about that brand new automobile. What a pity. Fast forward, I am left feeling that the key got stuck. Nothing has changed. We haven't moved. The battery is dead. Heart takes a hit. All those years later and no progress has been made. How disappointing to have to come to that conclusion.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes, very disappointing....we have barely come a couple of miles.
j.