some flowers never wake

 

some flowers never wake

 

 

 

cold compost

dreams find themselves delinquent

in fruition's time frame

 

the clock ticks

waste management

a delusion

 

we all fail to rouse

when success is nudging us

maybe cold water might

but the stench would be unbearable

 

and yet, we still won't get to success

before it 

becomes part of the earth

where weeds outgrow

plants

and the blooms we tend to

remain in a comatose state.

 

 

 

erin-cilberto

12/15/19

Reviews

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

Beautiful. Love this Jacob

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you, Julie...
j.

[redzone]

as I read your fine poem Jacob, I wanted to put my hands in that soil and find out not just that some don't wake, but why is this so???? is it only lack of opportunity or is it deeper, more feral than this??? is it simply nature or have we been trained to see and understand things only partially rather than do all we can to find the whys and then to change them??? for me that 'comatose state' comes from both the internal, but mostly the external conditions we face.... it's true the stench is overpowering but it's mostly we do not see or understand the need to or the how to become furtile for wonderful flowers to grow and change the landscape....

I always enjoy your poetry Jacob, it allows for and encourages us to think beyond just what is on the surface.... you said on one of my poems the other day, the poem was a 'call to arms'.... (thank you so much for that) but this poem is also a call to arms but done I think in a more artistic way I believe...

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i appreciate your kind words, Curt...
your reply is better than the poem....love the insights...
j.

[Chris Shaw]

We are all flowers in God's garden, though we do not all have equal opportunities. Some will flourish while others will struggle to thrive. There are always two sides to every coin. I count my blessings and never forget that there are those who probably don't count theirs. I have always been fond of weeds. The bindweed and its beautiful white trumpets was one of the first I noticed as a child. I never thought of them back then as being anything else other than pretty flowers. Thank you Jacob for the journey you have just taken me on with this beautiful poem.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

your response is better than the poem...thank you for your read and keen insights, Chris.
j.

[R.E. Ray]

Compost makes fertile grounds to grow, though it appears not all get an equal share of the rich ground or sunshine. I think of two sides of the same city, name the place; one community grows, the other withers and dies. Seems much the same throughout the world.

A bit off-course (normal for me), but this one reminded me of Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers, where he talks about what some might call the under-capitalization of human talent, often lying out of view or out of reach, just need a nudge from another.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

two sides of a City....absolutely....even here in Carbondale...two sides....with pretty clear boundaries...just like with people...clear boundaries....when we should all be on the same side.
thank you for your words, R.E.
j.

[.]

A very gently sad poem, Jacob....

Love the metaphor here, all of us as flowers in the garden patch that is life, all reaching for the sunlight, some basking in its rays, others failing to reach their limits...we can all relate to this one. As long as we have those dreams and aspirations we can always hope to achieve them. For as we know from many great writers and artists of the past, success can always come after we have become part of the earth.

A lovely write, Jacob. Very tender. Keep reaching for the sun. It sure beats being a plastic flower.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

it sure does, Doodley....sure does...thank you for your insightful response to this mess,
j.

[DIVYA]

I always thought It was just me... I failed them this time. So maybe those dreams will wait for me in the next round... So relatable, my friend.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i think they will...thank you, DIVYA...
how are the kids doing?

[DIVYA]

Doing great! Thanks. Just got busier though. :)

[Terpsichore]

And like hopes and dreams, many a poem never comes to fruition, they just dangle, tantalizingly out of reach, but those which do bloom, well, they're worth all the effort.

Onwards and upwards as they say.

T

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your words, T.
j.

[Nefertiti Virtudes Ahme..]

Beautiful imagery with this one. It’s almost like something out of a Tim Burton movie. Reminds me of the Corspe Bride..I can’t pinpoknt out why though. Either way I loved the flow. Kudos!!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

love Tim Burton and remember that one well...thank you for that comparison...
j.

[Jimmy Yetts]

Not exactly flowery language; sounds more like attending a wake for flowers.
Cold compost stench, everywhere.
Imagery so stark, it makes me feel as if I've stepped on a rake.
Guaranteeing, by the way, that--at least, for me--you've made your several points.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i hope your foot is okay...thank you, Jimmy,
j.

[adichie]

Hm.
Food for thought here... why am I reminded of an episode of Colombo all of a sudden?
Seems like your last three poems can be taken as a trilogy, and are far darker than they may seem on the surface.

Saying prayers, and touching Truth at this very moment.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind words, Deb,
ah Colombo...one of my favorites..."just one more thing!"
j.