grazing and gazing toward a once fertile past

grazing and gazing toward a once fertile past

 

 

an old gutted out barn

the cows never came home again

bales of rancid hay

years removed from use

pitchforked years of curdled milk

 

and buffed bank accounts

now withdrawn like the farmer's features

his thumb changes channels

on his antenna driven idiot box

as he recedes from life

 

there are no green pastures left,

he is widowed of a reason to exist

 

an old gutted out barn

in a painting,

hanging on the wall behind him

 

like his life.

 

 

 

 

erin-cilberto

8/9/19

Reviews

[Roland Petrov]

Very sad but it's a reality for many who worked the land. I grew up on farms; I know that at least one of them no longer exists. The poem is beautiful, and it's perfect!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for understanding this offering, Roland,
i miss those farms i visited as a kid, up in Vermont.
j.

[Roland Petrov]

I miss them too, and I haven't even been to Vermont!

[Fairy Khan]

Paints a picture of the destined end of the road humans are taking by polluting and overexploiting the nature, 'hanging on the wall behind him like his life'.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i really like what you saw here, Fairy...
thank you.
j.

[Dave Brown]

Life moves on, not always as we would wish.
Reminds me of an old barn we had on our property when we first bought it and of the old fellow who used to homestead it all

[jacob erin-cilberto]

that is a barn i would have liked to explore...thank you, Dave,
j.

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

Love the metaphor here thanks Jacob great poem
Ps I read some of Emily Dickinson’s very good thanks 🙏 and downloaded some on my kindle app on my phone

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you, Julie...and glad you are enjoying Emily....she is my very favorite poet...

[Julie McCarthy (juliespenhere)]

Ok cool yes she’s good my fav Aussie poet is Henry Lawson and his one called the last review about him writing on his death bed and he mentions all his poems in this it’s moving

[Lorry]

Like looking in a mirror Jacob. Receding from life is my new favourite description. I shall use it often, as I mumble to myself about that old screeching hinge on the gate that drives me insane(R), but oiling it would mean going outside and that's where all the scary s**t is.
I love how it ends with it being a painting being described... Maybe. 😀

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind review, Lorry,
j.

[Chris Shaw]

Great use of metaphor here Jacob, strong imagery and your lines evoke pathos. Excellent write.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind words, Chris,
j.

[Neville]

Tis sadder than sad... but clearly and oftenly true... Cleverly captured here for all days to come....

N.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your words, Neville,
j.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i like your word, Neville....
oftenly--although not really a word, i think it should be....

[Neville]

I like it too and have used it oftenly enough.. and true :)

[andrew mitchell]

Smart and clever imagery and writing skills here J as per all your writes. Yes just like a painting his past also hangs behind him.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you, andrew,
j.

[PaintedBirdy]

whoa. the barn is symbolic of the body of the farmer, an anthropomorphic building representing his life. and it got gutted out! it's quite horrific. and a true story to many people.

pitchforked years of curdled milk. beautifully devastating imagery. the sense of loss is overwhelming. and then he just watches TV for the rest of his life. no green pastures left means that there is no hope.

an old gutted out barn in a painting, it's his American Dream that he lost. actually this imagery reminds me of a rural farmer's version of the picture of dorian grey. hanging on the wall behind him, where presumably he wont care to look back at it. a dream/hope/image that is now in the past and never to be awoken again.

the feeling of regret in this poem is stunning. good writing, friend.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes, dorian grey....the picture ages, he does not....i remember.
thank you for your words, Mondaine,
j.