Turning Backwards

Turning Backwards

old man 

in the infant's car seat

straggling the road of life

with baby steps

drinking aged wine

by the bottle

trying to find something

in the vintage

to have made his life worthwhile

his recliner reclining like his motivation

movement is for others

he just wants to move his eyes

to the screen

and watch

reruns of shows telecast

when he was in his youth

when the road extended before him

now it is after him

and death is the drunk driver

ready to unplug his TV

as it skids over the goodbye

indicated

by his mapquest directions.

erin-cilberto

9/3/24 

Reviews

[Soren]

Sometimes you can't trust anything even the GPS. Yes Jacob such an apt summary of age looking back. How to find something in that aged wine to make it worth while. Those rerun memories Wow! what a portrayal of where we go and where we arrive. Lovely Jacob

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for your very kind words, Soren,
j.

[Jon Mahaffie]

Very very tight comparisons here (bottle for both wine and milk, car seat vs recliner, old man straggling vs baby steps, etc;), and I love the poetic conceit of the road through each stanza. What is most sad to me is that it appears the ultimate "goodbye" is present and printed out for him, even before death skids over it and his directions. I think that is more painful than meeting death before a goodbye is given by others at your memorial that you are obviously not present for. I never enjoyed "comfort media," aka replaying songs, movies, games, etc; purely for the nostalgic comfort until my early 30s. I think at that moment, one is ready to have children. And at the moment where "comfort media" is no longer comforting, one is ready to die

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for your understanding review, Jon,
j.

[Kelly Scheppers]

The aging process is awakening in us all. We have more of our life behind us then what's left ahead. I intend to squeeze every minute like a tube of toothpaste. This one hurts my heart, but in a good way. You're just too good for definition!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes, much more behind us..thank you for your kind words, Kelly,
j.

[Betty Hermelee]

bundles of metaphors J, that are so appropriate to the concept here... so many great lines...turning backwards is what I see in this person...the aging process...where one goes the wrong direction....imagine a full grown body in a car seat for infants....re-runs of old telecasts, the slow recliner..mimicking the pace at which he exists....death stalks him...lost in his shadows where map quest will no long function...
Warmly, B

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for your insightful words, Betty,
j.

[Betty Hermelee]

you’re very welcome J.
warmly, B🌷

[Patricia Wedel]

The Silver Screen is our memory as we recognize the places and the romantic rendezvous with Stars that stole our Heart ♥️ before the Last Tango.. I caress the Lips that Sing 🎶 when Violins 🎻 play Porgy and Bess as Sporting Life steals her away to New York… and thunder and Lightening become the Music 🎶 of Broadway…. 🎭 Sugh.. Pat

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you, dear Pat,
j.

[John the Baptist]

Not exactly a recruiting poster for old age. As I look hard on 79, I try to avoid the reruns.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

that is a good idea...to avoid them.
j.

[jessyyjacob]

Hi Jacob,

It hurted me when as a kid you keep on biting me with your teeth, it was ok, seeing you as a baby, thinking you never grow, but few baby steps which are making to fall are frightening me where you are not listening what you see and feel it, then it makes sense for me to stop watching you tv, so that you dont look at bad stuff. You are best there is no better than you even if people blame me that i am harsh i say there is no breakup between mother and son relationship. I know how both miss each other. So this time is temporary lapse not to hurt you but just make you understand how much i am missing you, and you ask me do you really love me then i say when did i hate you and there is no need to ask to a mom do you love your kid. And to me my son is my love life breath. So dont neglect or ignore what you learned, and there is no age coming in between mother and son, no beauty lost, even after 60 yrs still mom is mom only to son no matter what she her skin turn to age. Son will never hesitate to.kiss or hug. But people hurt you saying mom is burden to you then you hav to decide whether you bear her but there is no breakup.

Mom will never leave or divorce her son hope you dont forget this.
I love you
Missing you

I dont like the dp i want to see your smiling face.

Jessy Jacob.
🩷

[apennylate]

Big fan of the internal rhyming and homonym, obviously, as it peppers my own work.

The ending, MapQuest, skidding goodbyes and TV dinners...

A classic work, neatly tied together with vintage callbacks.

Well written...

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for your kind review, apennylate,
j.

[apennylate]

Of course...
Cheers!

[Desert Knave]

Yes. There comes a time when the trip is over, even if life is not. Nicely worded. ~Jim

[jessyyjacob]

You dont look so knave as your name suggests. Dont oil the firs it will harm you that oil is burning even when you dont add oil. Who said time is ended no one can limit their life because someone wanted. If someone wanted they cant stop someone but thry can stop themselves. Dont make demotivation but motivation to do good atleast you are alive else no life as you said you end your time.

Outcha. Dont think otherwise.

Gotcha i think so

Lesson is learned not to rut and when you understand its not a lessonits a copy i mean rut.

Hope knave be knife so that you dont get cut but you can keep you safe.

Jesssy Jacobbb .
🩷

[jessyyjacob]

Fire** they ** when you dont understand its not a lesson**

Above typos corrected.

[Senu Jayasinghe]

So heartbreaking. So much hopelessness in so few words.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your words, Senu,
j.