Honey in the Bell Jar

Honey in the Bell Jar

 

 

 

love tastes a moment

high regard,

beauty in solemn passion

and then erosion

 

manipulating, rearranging, changing

the runway cleared

for the runaway to fly

 

the beautiful disregard

for self

deteriorates into bitter longing

raven embrace

 

the wing torn

grounded, buried

in tears shed red

with anger

 

the moment love is tasted

it turns sour

low regard

passion in solemn erosion

 

try to remember me as I once was

you might taste the memory

and it might be sweet.

 

 

erin-cilberto

5/20/2023

Reviews

[W. Barrett Munn]

“love tastes a moment high regard”

This reminds me of a Frost poem’s opening line, the title of which eludes me at the moment. It is a very sophisticated idea presented as as enigma, which fits the line.
I am unclear why that line is enjambed, though, other than the slight end of line pause. I don’t know if it works here but hope you will enlighten me.

Winston

[jacob erin-cilberto]

a moment of high regard..then gone, just like that...and yes, the pause.
Thank you, Winston.
j.

[W. Barrett Munn]

The Frost poem I forgot is “Directive”, which begins, “Back out of all of this now too much for us,”

[Chris Shaw]

Why does love have to change? Why does it erode away so often?
manipulating , rearranging, changing

Not accepting people as they are. Not working through problems but choosing to bail out early.

The final stanza. I found so sad J.

A taste of honey, tasting much sweeter than wine.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you, Chris...
j.

[Pete]

sweet metaphor. it's funny. i have a bottle of honey that is getting near its end and i have been dreading when it becomes hard and crusty and you can't get it out. thanks for getting some sweet truth out from deep down where we don't care to reach and dig. it may be hard and buried but it's still honey ... :)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes, if not used honey or love turns hard and crusty,
thank you, Pete.

[FGFRANKLIN]

"try to remember me as I once was

you might taste the memory

and it might be sweet."

The slow descent into madness driven by love or obsession seems a popular theme sometimes. Perhaps because it's an unpopular reality too often unaddressed. Plath painted a portrait of herself much like the one Marilyn Monroe expressed of herself at one time. Your closing lines draw like curtains on the tortured emotional drama played out. An elegant piece of art, this. It contains so much disenchantment and struggle while written between the lines is a silent cry for forgiveness of self. But time and love make fools of us all. We all stand in need of mercy and understanding. I enjoyed the read. This is one of my favorites I've read from you.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you, Fabian...coming from you, that means a lot.
j.

[Stella Armour]

i don't know why when people fall in love with certain things about some one they then try to change those certain things. It has never made sense to me ; love me for who and what i am because i am my own person. I am unique and if you try to change me you will lose me.( took me years to get to this lol)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes, makes no sense...we try to change that which attracted us to the person in the first place.
read moreYes, makes no sense...we try to change that which attracted us to the person in the first place.
Thank you, Stella,
j.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Time takes its toll and tarnishes even gold. Every time that I hear "Bell Jar," I immediately think of Sylvia Plath. However, your work is uniquely yours and bears no comparison in my humble opinion. The last three lines of this really resound for me. Well penned, Jacob, as always.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for your kind review, Linda Marie; I did do my Thesis on her and Sexton...Her work, so great, but not exactly joyous..eh?
j.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Agreed, but it's something that so many relate to.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Like Plath herself said..."readers want to know from someone who has been there and felt the worst."

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Absolutely.

[willweb]

Lately to me it seems that the memories are much sweeter than is today. But, I guess that is how it goes. Some can take and some find other ways out. Life is simply that...life. I small moment in time that is ours to do with as we please. We can take full gamut or we can leave early. Me, I'm glad I stuck around though there have been times when the early exit is very enticing.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes, I envisioned early exit a couple times...but there is still too much life to be lived...and more honey to sup from the bees.
j.

[Andrew John]

Thank you, Jacob. Great reminder of a book I read years ago - _The Bell Jar_, though I do have some Plath poems. So long ago I've forgotten so much of it.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

somewhat autobiographical or maybe much more than that...and she published it anonymously at the time...thank you, Andrew,
j.

[Laz K.]

Nothing lasts, and things turn into their opposites: day to night, youth to old age, life to death, and sweet love to bitterness. Eventually, we're left with some memories.

This poem is authentic and rings true. Perhaps, it (i.e. art) is the only thing that has lasting value.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

or as Scarlett's father said about Tara..."the land is the only thing that lasts" now we have art, writing, painting...much to savor.
thank you, Laz.
j.

[John the Baptist]

There may be honey in the bell jar, but there's not a bit in the oven.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I will have to find it.