in the garden of the betrayed

in the garden of the betrayed

rice patties

cornflake dreams

blown apart like limbs

frolicking in pirouette

hands that held rifles

submitted to God

where are the flowers

the unknown soldiers

find fame in anonymity

because they have their own club

at the gates, pieces of them

welcomed in

this return home

is not greeted with resistance

and bad signs and ugly shouting

but embraces of understanding

a calm love

that needs no name

on a headstone,

just a small bloom

on those stand-in annuals.

erin-cilberto

6/7/22

Reviews

[John the Baptist]

This would have been a good one for Memorial Day. Put me in mind of Vietnam, with the mention of rice patties and the harassment by radicals upon returning home. May Americans never have to fight in foreign wars again.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

to me, every day is Memorial Day...considering the losses we have suffered because of useless wars.
thank you, John,
j.

[Shannon O'Gara]

Being in Europe and seeing what is unfolding in Ukraine, I cannot help but think back to our history lessons on WWII, Vietnam, and hope that we do not go down a road from which we cannot turn back. Wars are fought mostly for material gain and as part of political and economic power moves. With those who wage war sitting comfortably in their armchairs and sending others to the front lines. And if those who are lucky return in one piece, they remain forever scarred in their souls. Let's not forget our history, so that we may have a future worth living.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

and Nam one of the worst for that....thank you for your insightful reply to this piece, Shannon,
read moreand Nam one of the worst for that....thank you for your insightful reply to this piece, Shannon,
j.

[Desert Knave]

This hits rather starkly. Those who come home anonymously never endure the ugliness that has greeted so many who have lived through our recent wars. You did quite well on this one. ~Jim

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you, Jim....such a bad war....such scars.
j.

[Marvin Thomas Cox-Flynn..]

Jacob,

Sadly, I lost several good friends in the Nam, a war America should never have fought in the first place ... And for my friend Calvin Mayberry, who died and burned in a Chopper Crash, there was not enough left of him after the flames died out to put in a coffee can ... A very poignant piece of poetry for any and all who are patriots, as am I, and who love America even when she is wrong, and who do seek to right those wrongs without attempting to tear down and destroy history as though those tragic mistakes never happened, when, in fact, they did, and must be remembered, for Robert Anson Heinlein had this to say about history: "A generation which ignores history has no past — and no future."

Marvin Thomas Cox-Flynn de Graham

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I really appreciate your words here, Marve.
I got lucky and didn't have to go over there...but friends lost who they were over there...my sister had a close friend who died two days before he was to come home...
Yes, history is history....we might try to tear it down, but there are many copies.
thank you for your words, and I am so sorry that you lost friends over there.
j.

[redzone]

how many of our young boys given their lives as cannon fodder in wars of imperialist aims??? and how many more will do so???? our armies have never been the "good guys" in fighting other countries cannon fodder dressed up in uniforms, to hide their boyishness.... the only honor in our troops has come when they refused to fight is these wars, or like the soldiers from each side in WW1 held truces and celebrated together holidays and their humanity.... yes, back in the day we called them baby killers mass murderers, cause that was the truth of what they had done, and there is no honor in this...

one of the biggest reason why today there is an "all volunteer" army is because of the refusal to fight in Vietnam... the PTSD is a symptom of not only what was seem in todays wars, but also because of the disconnect between why they were told to fight and what they had actually done.... what is the difference between bombing a hospital and a terrorist attack in a market place???? or the obliteration of Dresden and the massacre in Fallujah???

these wars today are imperialist war for global dominance and both sides are wrong and the wars are not in the interests of humanity.... I think if we want to honor our sons and daughters in the services is to encourage them to refuse to fight.... I myself honor those brave soldiers who resisted their orders, did not go out on patrols and spent years in stockade for not boarding the plane and ships going off to war... or the brave soldiers who waved the white flag and joined together to celebrate christmas in the war that was supposed to end all wars.... yeah right....

I know my view will be unpopular but it is a view that more need to hear and think about and as poets write in resistance to such wars and atrocities.... your poem Jacob allows for each of us to contemplate not only the heartbreak of war, but also contemplate why it is these "boys" and "girls" died...

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I appreciate your words here, Curt.
and I understand this point of view quite strongly.
j.

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Jacob... you have touched the essence of a broken heart in a Battlefield where men were too young and "some came Home" to be confused with PTSD. I have been married to someone for 24 years who I gathered up and protected his Mind as best I could. Now I reap the Rewards of his Kindness and understanding. He supports my poetry and listens to Birdsong and finds Solace in the Flowers. There is a Time for Weeping and a Time for Healing. Your Poetry gives Honor to our Fallen and is a Memorial to those who still dream of people who never had a Chance to Dream. I Salute you for your Creative endeavors of Tombstones with No Names. tenderly, Pat

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you, Pat...your words mean a lot to me.
It was a bad time back then in respect to a war we should not have been in...I had friends who came back different...never the same....even after years...I came so close to being drafted...was 1A for awhile...but got very lucky...it was a mess.
thank you,
j.

[Patricia Wedel]

On my Mother’s side of the family two of her brothers were in a War and both had PTSD and were never the Same. I was very young, so I never knew the details. It was best during Vietnam that some Men did not go to War… there is more of a balance to help those at Home. We are resting today Wednesday, except for an Appt at three pm with Roger’s Surgeon to see if his New Fistula has Matured for dialysis. Hope you can Keep your Spirits in Tow… Prayers and Love…. gently, Pat

[Chris Shaw]

Oh my you have me back in Vietnam. The young American soldiers that went out there to fight for their country who were despised on their return. That is betrayal. Many of them couldn't return to a normal life. They took to the hills and suicide in many cases. Yes, understanding. A love for those who lost their lives and for those whose lives were shattered on their return. They didn't ask for war, but they certainly suffered the consequences. I would like to place a rose on the grave of each.

So powerful is this piece J. Brings tears to my eyes. War is so futile, so damn ugly and now we have Ukraine.
You write for them my dear friend, for those who can no longer speak. I thank you for that.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you, Chris...protesting the War was one thing...a necessary thing...but treating the returning soldiers the way they were treated..that was a travesty.
I appreciate you...and yes, now we have Ukraine.
we just seem to have to have a war going on somewhere....peace and we are so far apart.
j.

[andrew mitchell]

I read this a few times and for me it emphasised life is cheap. That's what war does.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you, andrew.
yes, that is what it does.
j.