a beggar's courtship

a beggar's courtship

 

 

i love you in the street

my dirty arms embrace

my filthy face

close to yours

whiskey lips press against

your mouth

begging for retaliation

a sensuous locking together

of souls long forgotten

by society

i love you in the street

 

we have nowhere else

and i only have three quarters

to spend on our date

so, i shall take you to 

the most prestigious corner

 

the one with less unpicked trash

lining it

the one where the streetlight is always green

the freedom to move

 

i love you in the street

let me put my ragamuffin jacket

around your shoulders to warm you

 

chivalry is not dead

even among those dead to society.

 

 

erin-cilberto

10/24/24

Reviews

[Tumi]

Your poem "A Beggar's Courtship" is really powerful! I love how it shows love and tenderness in such a tough setting. The way you describe the speaker's feelings and the street life creates a strong picture. The repeated line about loving in the street makes it feel personal and heartfelt. Overall, it’s a moving piece that makes you think about love in unexpected places!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Even the poorest know love....thank you for your kind review, tumi.
j.

[andrew mitchell]

It really comes down to the bare essentials to realise and to understand the differences bringing together people sharing the same plight. And how we respond to kindness while embracing the hardships of survival.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Love your insight, andrew,
thank you,
j.

[redzone]

To kiss and be kissed back, now that is a sublime 'retaliation'. For those who have nothing, love is all they can give and, I would argue, the most intense. There is an urgency and rawness that escapes most because life is seen as more tenuous and love so rare, so fleeting. I think you captured something important with your poem, Jacob. It's like finding that daisy, growing from the concrete alleyway, between two run-down tenement buildings up in the Bronx.
Curt

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for your kind and insightful review, Curt,
j.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

it reminds me of Leonard Cohen. amazing words, espescially "whiskey lips," and the use of "retaliation."

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you, Ern....
j.

[Thomas W Case]

Beautiful. Love is all around us if we look for it. Superb work.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you, Thomas,
j.

[Marie]

Wow! True love blossoms in the most unlikely places and you have captured a true gentleman with a beautiful soul in this sublimely penned poem. I love how the beloved finds the most prestigious corner in the town to take his girlfriend to, but most of all I love how he is caring and concerned for her, that she may feel cold and wraps his jacket around her shoulders. I would prefer to have a poor man's roses than a rich man's gold any day, J... Through excellent word choice you paint a magical picture of true love, no pretence, just genuine, pure love. What a treasure to receive! I so enjoyed reading and thank you for sharing, dear J... An enchanting write!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

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

[Marie]

Most welcome always, J....

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

Wow one of your finest
Loved it

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you, Julie,
j.