on the anniversary of my first death

on the anniversary of my first death

naked protrusion

young confusion

he loves you all

so says he

as he gets down on his knees

and begs you please

don't tell mommy

she wouldn't understand

love's eccentricity

is duplicitous

and maybe she is an ally

in all of this madness

too dead now to share the sadness

the nightmares of rotting meat

the grave too good a bed for some

barring those without conscience

I see him through the open blind

galivanting through his own rhyme

with twisted, ugly vowels 

partitioned from reality

but it will always be hers.

erin-cilberto

11/24/2021

Reviews

[William Michael Reeves]

The first thing that came to my mind is how we have no control of what happens to us as children. Children dying their first death at the hand of twisted, ugly love. Then carrying the shame invisible in the glare of pretentious normality.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

so true,
thank you, William,
j.

[shadrach hah]

Hi Jacob, a terrible truth comes through your words. It must be hard for a child to see the unseen and then be able to tell of what has been seen. It becomes a secret that can destroy from within. Sometimes life can truly sadden me. Another powerful write from your pen, Jacob. Have a wonderful Sunday....Mike.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you, Mike...appreciate your words,
j.

[shadrach hah]

You are welcome, Jacob. Have a wonderful Tuesday....Mike.

[Coyote Poetry]

I loved how you twisted the words Jacob.
"love's eccentricity
is duplicitous
and maybe she is an ally
in all of this madness"
The above lines, I liked and I understood. We do become ally to the madness. Thank you my friend for sharing the outstanding poetry.
Coyote

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for your kind words, Coyote,
j.

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome Jacob.

[Ted Kniffen]

your title caught my eye j.
My father died "two deaths", but not in the sense of this poem. Not caught out in an affair ... as far as I know he was faithful ... but literally died twice. I wrote about it a while ago.

Not good for a child to discover daddy "en flagrante" as it were. Images that would be hard to digest.

The grave is too good a bed for some ... and some accept far more than they should.

All in all a powerful write.

Happy Thanksgiving.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind review, and sharing how you relate to this piece, Ted,
j.

[John the Baptist]

Has the sound of betrayal and its aftermath. A parent has apparently be caught in some extramarital mischief by his child, whom he begs not to tell his mother. Shortly thereafter, we are given the hint that "mommy" might already be aware of the way things are. People, for their own reasons, do tolerate such situations. The child is understandably bruised by all this. The sense is that he has not forgiven, even though time has passed. Some scars do not fade.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

a very interesting perspective here, John.
Thank you for this slant on this piece.
j.

[Patricia]

This is crazy, I was working on one this morning on this subject, well I will be putting that one away, this is too good and on a subject that needs to be put out there and given light. This is brilliant and painful and one of your best

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you, Patricia, although I think yours need to be read as well.

j.

[Chris Shaw]

We never know what goes on behind closed doors. The sickness in some people is abhorrent. The damage they inflict, permanent. Who do you trust as a child when the very people who are supposed to have your best interests at heart completely fail you. Hard to take in, but this is the reality that some minors have to deal with. A tough read J.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

And yet, children are so damn honest. We could learn much from them.
thank you, Chris,
I wrote this piece with lots of anger just under the surface...or maybe it did surface,
j.

[Chris Shaw]

the anger is evident.....

[Cherrie Palmer]

The only thing I can say to this. Is teach your kids to never keep that secret. But go running to the one person you can trust.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you, Cherrie, but learning who can be trusted, even parents...who knows...
j.

[Cherrie Palmer]

Yes sometimes that's not easy. That's a horrible truth.