Headless U-turns in a small pentameter town

 

Headless U-turns in a small pentameter town

 

 

the pen-less horseman

riding naked into sheets of unaccountable wind

 

words like tumbleweed

roll onto gravestones

a boot hill kind of symmetry 

 

tin stars where themes

lie in dreams

and spurs spin lyrical tunes

 

there was once a sound of silence

but now just a silence of sounds

and two feet stickup out of the ground

 

where once there were five

and a badge of iambic honor

 

rhyme shot dead 

in a new west

 

now free verse has rewritten history

with unconfined accuracy

leaving us all looking for some kind of rhythm

 

before the boots get too scuffed

and dusty.

 

 

erin-cilberto

10/14/16

Reviews

[Valentine]

There are many types of writing, I love the old masters and also much of what I find on this and other poetry sites. Maybe one day your writes will be in an olden book. Valentine

[jacob erin-cilberto]

it would be amazing for any of us to have that honor, wouldn't it?

thank you, my friend.

j.

[Ted Kniffen]

Oh to bury our words on Boot Hill. One of the best short poems ever.
"Here lies Les Moore
four shots from a .44
no less
no Moore.
Free verse like free range has a place, but we should all appreciate rhyming verse as well. Westerns were such a big part of our lives as kids. I kinda miss them. Good write, j

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i too...loved all the old Westerns....watched them all when i was a kid...Tombstone Territory, Cimmaron City, the Tall Man, Lawman...and all of the staples...

Have Poem will Travel.

thanks, Ted

i like your inscription on the gravestone.

j.

[Ted Kniffen]

I can't take credit for the epitaph j. It is genuine. Lester Moore worked for Wells Fargo and was killed in a gun fight. As for westerns, my favourite was Wanted Dead or Alive.

[Einstein Noodle]

hear hear!! and so we all need to do our best to resurrect a classic now and again .. i know you have said you would not be much successful at it but i don't believe you :) timely All Hallowed Eve's imagery .. reminds me so much of Deadwood, SD ...a wonderful place to visit if you ever find the time to go west young man .. just the right tweek of sarcasm and irony seems natural ..another enjoyable read sir!
E.
ps i am reading a book titled "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" (a bunch of pandas on the cover) by Lynne Truss ... its about the degeneration of even a semblance of punctuation propriety .. along the same lines of poetry eh!?

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes, that is a good book...i have it...a friend of mine gave it to me...good stuff...

and thanks for your kind words on my poem.

j.

[Devanshi]

I liked the poem and the title especially. It's a nice one. I've recently been reading your other poems as well! I have also posted a new story "Feared...", I would like to have you review it!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you, and i will try to review your story, i mainly just do poetry because my time is so limited as to when i can be on here.

j.

[Paul Bell]

21st century historians have really cleaned up history now.
No more despot dictators.
Just misguided souls who didn't get a break in life.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

so true, thank you, Paul...
j.

[Lydia Shutter]

Poetry is free and easy these days....much as society has changed from being rigid to a bit more accepting. There are times, though, when I believe we have taken a step backwards. There are still many who believe in iambic pentameter and rhyme.....in poetry and in life. I liked this one. Lydi**

[jacob erin-cilberto]

sometimes we are taking steps backward, probably one for every two steps forward,
thank you, Lydi.

j.

[Papaya]

The times they are a changin'...
We used to conform to structure but more and more we're living outside the lines.
Like this one...

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your words, Ana...

was starting to think this one just didn't work at all...you give me some hope.

j.

[Papaya]

I am the bringer of hope. :)
I like that. Anytime Jacob, I can't imagine why you'd think that. I always enjoy yours.