a segregated garden

Inspired by Rico X's poem "2 steps forward, 3 steps back"

a segregated garden

black arrangements

the dark roots

blocked before the surface

sinewy flowers not for everyone

stay in your own garden

they surmise

don't mix

don't grow with others

mind the fences

mind the rows

pick the weeds

only on one side

let the others choke and rot

oh, you are a sot

a cistern white in glow

not to let all the flowers grow

one garden,

one mind

one inclination

towards the same sun

and the rain does 

not discriminate

we all get the same tears

from God.

erin-cilberto

2/4/2021

Reviews

[poetgurl (Plainly Meg)]

this is really powerful, makes one think about their life in a way.
very nicely written sir.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you, Kari,
j.

[Nix is typing...]

This was such a beautiful poem, Jacob!
"stay in your own garden
they surmise
don't mix
don't grow with others"
I feel like I get this, (I might not though, so tell me, lol) stay in your own garden, like...don't mix with other people's business that you don't have business mixing with. I loved this poem (Of course). It was so beautiful and I love the imagery you planted in my mind with this! Thank you for sharing :3

100/100

Nix ❤️

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind and insightful review, Nix,
j.

[light and ashes]

Wow....the last line is a masterpiece.
Such unbelievably powerful words.
I enjoyed the entire piece, however.
You keep writing, Jacob. You are a master at it.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for your kind words, light.
j.

[light and ashes]

Always... :)

[Lydia Shutter]

Beautiful concept here. Yes, all the flowers reach for the sun and get it. The rain falls on them equally. The garden holds so many different plants and flowers. All of them contribute to the beauty there. If only people would realize we all can live together peacefully. Perhaps in our lifetime? Lydi**

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for your kind review, Lydi,
j.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I wonder if it is possible to be in our lifetime, Lydi,
I wonder.

[Lydia Shutter]

Once I thought it was....but now I am not so sure.

[duff]

I read this as mind your own damn business. My garden is mine and you can keep yours out. We don't have to mingle to grow.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I really like this interpretation, duff.

I appreciate your insights...
j.

[Chris Shaw]

One garden where all flowers, all colours and scents thrive. That is how is should be. I thought about racism back in the fifties in the UK. I thought about posters in windows where there were rooms to be let. No blacks, no Irish and no dogs. So very ugly. so very ignorant. We still have a long way to go. Sadly there are still those who don't believe in equality. We all have a duty to call it out when we see it. Great write Jacob.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes, we do have that duty...Poets tend to call out on so many issues...maybe doing it in a poetic way is more effective, maybe less, who knows?
thank you for your understanding review, Chris.
j.

[Paul Bell]

I think all races would segregate me from their garden, though that maybe because I use a flame thrower as part of my origami regime.
Most racism disappears at the life-saving operation stage, and if it doesn't, well, good riddance.
Now, concrete gardens, you can't go wrong with them.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your words, Paul. I wish it would disappear... We are all one.
j.

[Einstein Noodle]

love the closing ... if we would all turn to God in brutal honesty perhaps His tears would heal us all .. we run from it tho, jacob ... the very healing everyone needs .. powerful, straight to the gut .. super relevant poem sir!
E.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

you are so right, E....we run from it.
j.

[Lorry]

I look forward to the day a man can grow pineapples next to his tomatoes without it starting the shovel wars.
We do all get the same tears Jacob. Some of us however, need a canoe to escape them.
Someone in Scotland must be very naughty indeed. Obviously not me, of course...
We Scots are proof of not discriminating. We even took one of those weeds (thistle) and made it our national flower!!! Although to be fair, that was about the time we invented whisky too! What a night that was!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I love your metaphorical response to this piece...thank you, Lorry,
j.

[Helen]

I love this poem. I am trying my hardest to have an unsegregated and free garden (my actual garden) and I think your poem could relate to my soul / psyche too.

In 'Mr God, this is Anna' by Fynn, the teacher is trying to help Anna with her maths by asking "if I had two rows of 12 flowers, how many flowers would I have?" to which Anna (quite rightly in my view) replies "If you grewed flowers like that, you shouldn't grow no bloody flowers". I may have misquoted as it is a while since I read it, but the gist is there. I don't think Creation intended for straight lines and regulation!

You allude to the boundaries in the garden too - perhaps the boundaries between ourselves and others, perhaps the Covid social distancing "don't mix".

The more I look, the more I think I see. This will do for now!

Thank you for your poem

[Helen]

missed the point about racism, but reading other reviews and your comment about how you were inspired by rico x who I have just read, I see the references in your poem now.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I really appreciate you taking extra time with this poem...Yes, his poem greatly inspired me.
thank you for your insightful and understanding words, Helen,
j.