an odd notion of family

an odd notion of family

 

 

The Bronx

early sixties, early seventies

late daylight scattering through

high-rise windows

casting strobe-like consequence

as gangs sleep in

 

the bruised crawl along

sweet gutterage

looking for home

helpless, bandaged

lost

nothing to die for

 

they nurse wounds

wish for wombs

to start over

to a different life

but then other members

 

appear

carrying their dead

the light show grinds to a halt

sirens pick up the pieces

a solemn night ensues

 

nothing to live for

even the sun

feels shame

 

and old bricks get older.

 

 

erin-cilberto

2/11/25

Reviews

[Soren]

Masterful metaphoric images mark this poem with blood stained meaning. They can be felt like a club on the back of a drunk man. Intoxicating words where the homeless seek shelter in poetry. Love it

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for your kind review, Soren,
j.

[Thomas W Case]

Powerful work. Tremendous.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you, Thomas,
j.

[K. Louis]

"The light show grinds to a halt/sirens pick up their pieces" - Great imagery throughout. well done.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you, K..
j.

[Lorry]

Even before mentioning the early seventies Jacob I would have guessed that time frame from my limited knowledge, which consisted mostly, if not all from TV and movies. Remember those days where a parental guidance movie rating meant you could go to the cinemas and watch mayhem as long as you had a parent with you and with the likes of assault on precinct 13 playing, where a kid got split in two with a shotgun at the I've cream Van!
Personally I was amazed anyone made it home alive, but as we grow we realise that for the most part these were just people trying to live and not get caught up in the mayhem.
I remember seeing that movie and wondering if all America was like that, so imagine my shock when I made it there in adulthood and they never even issued me with a colt 45 on my landing there! I thought it was a clerical error, but with hindsight I maybe shouldn't have went to the information desk and demanding a gun from them.
Don't worry though, I got out after two days of interrogation and even got a police escort to my hotel!
😃

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Police escort...you make me smile.
j.

[Desert Knave]

A dismal, but well-written piece. Phoenix is the largest city I've lived in, and we just do not have the old buildings that make streets seem so dark. ~Jim

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you, Jim...You are not missing anything, believe me.
j.

[Chris Shaw]

Such a hard hitting write j. The view from high rise windows tells me so. The lives that some people end up living, so far from their beginnings. I see and hear the violence from gangs, the homeless struggling. You paint with words in this poem. It isn’t pretty. It isn’t anything I’ve known . It IS life for some.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

It got really bad...and then later a mayor really worked on cleaning it up.
thank you, Chris,
j.