affording new fixtures

affording new fixtures

the sump pump

cannot clear the friction

dispose of the wasted regrets

i loved you once,

but something rancid

stopped up the heart's enthusiasm

precarious plumbing full of lies

and deceit

nothing good flushed from the facade

my entire emotional make-up

became a raw sewage of painful memories

i loved you once

but plastic pipes

are filled with temporary beauty

and even if they don't rust

the appearance is an air brushed

splinter waiting for the pivotal moment

to bust

the real metal welded

from sincerity,

costs in patience, but

provides years of service

little maintenance

and a lifetime warranty

of free flowing smiles.

erin-cilberto

11/18/17

Reviews

[Einstein Noodle]

me Da tried to infuse into me to "...never lie or steal..." He thought they were two most terrible sins to commit ... very difficult to gain back trust ...me thinks moving to higher ground might be the thing to do...more solid bedrock ... off the grid ... no need to piping ;) i found this interesting bit "...A primitive indoor, tree bark lined, two-channel, stone, fresh and wastewater system appears to have featured in the houses of in Skara Brae, from around 3000 BCE," oldest cast iron pipes are in France and still being used after almost 300 yrs. ... love your use of metaphor always jacob .. and the contrast with "real meal" in closing uplifts me ol' heart ...
E.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your words, E.--your dad definitely was spot on...once trust is lost...can't get it back fully...ever.

j.

[Einstein Noodle]

funny, jacob...he seems to have turned out right about all kinds of things ;))) but i did win $5 from him on a bet that the Beatles would last ..he said in 5 yrs they would be forgotten .. ;)

[drew garner]

Kinda remind me of Jim Dodge, who is my favorite writer! I thought it was caustic and warm at the same time. Just in case you haven't read him here is a Jim Dodge poem. "never drive through a small town with the sheriffs drunk naked fifteen year old daughter on your lap...and...love is harder then it feels...."

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i like the Jim Dodge quotes....thank you, drew.
j.

[Rossen]

if I found this poem on a scrap of paper floating in the air...well I would know you were the writer.
You have the gifts and skills to take any substance
and make it beautiful...

thumbs up to you
Ol friend 100/100

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your very kind words, Rossen...
nice to see you around again..
j.

[Zugzwang]

Plumbing as a metaphor for relationsips! Whod'a thunk?? The exclusive use of lower case looks great on the page, I think I might try a bit of that.
You really stuck with the metaphor, and made it work hard, I just love the way you used it to get at all the angles of your topic.
Relationships are about work, and if we're not prepared to get our lands dirty...well then we've got a messy problem. Been there, done that.
Great stuff.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind review, Zugzwang...

j.

[Alfred Kukitz]

So......if I need a plumber......your available?

Regards,
Al

[jacob erin-cilberto]

ha ha...24 hours....

j.

[Jimmy Yetts]

Plumbing brings to mind plumbers I've known which, unfortunately, conjures stark, unwelcome images of male anal cleavage.
A very clever and creative account of love down the poorly constructed drain.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i am glad you could enjoy the poem despite that image...:))))

[Ardra]

To me this poem reads like a love affair turned sour.... like the outer beauty fading away with passage of time...And the real one would stay strong the test of time...and kind of saying that you have overcome the love for outer beauty....Mmm I kind of read into it like this ...;) maybe am making my own stories....

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i like how you related to this poem..thank you for your insights, Galadriel...

j.