mettle survives

mettle survives

 

 

 

file a thought

in a burnt-out warehouse cabinet

so pretty in its charred environment

 

there is beauty in ugly

a marred smile

a poem in the smoke

 

we love,

we burn out

we explore the ruins

 

pocket a souvenir

from the rubble

put it in safekeeping

 

to pluck from its secret surmise

when the few ashes left

ask us to believe again.

 

 

erin-cilberto

10/2/22

Reviews

[Fabian G. Franklin]

We endure. We endeavor to persevere. Hopefully the burn-out doesn't take us and we survive. Maybe we should keep our heart in a fire-safe. F.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your words, Fabian,
j.

[John the Baptist]

Has the sound of cutting losses. Sometimes things just don't work out in relationships, so we assess what we have learned and hope for better results next time. If nothing else, we can learn from our losses.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you, John,
j.

[W. Barrett Munn]

In every bad or lost there is some element of good to be found. It's not easy though to dig through the charred remains of what was once so happy.

Nice work, teacher. Teach us more.

Winston

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for the kind review, Winston,
j.

[Chris Shaw]

Such an interesting word mettle and not one I tend to use, but should. I use resilience too often, but mettle is better. Out of the ashes and my mind wanders to many situations. Never give up what you once believed in. I have recently renewed contact with a girlfriend I hadn't seen for years. We had been very close but circumstances changed. We have started again where we left off with all the benefits of many previous years of knowing. We are stronger for it. What we have is precious. Your poem reminded me of her and others too who weave in and out of the tapestry of my life. Meaningful poetry and so relatable J.


Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I am so glad you reconnected with your girlfriend, Chris...some years back I had the same situation with my best friend from Grade School and High School...we reconnected and took up where we left off.
Thank you...
j.

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Jacob ... We gather remnants of our favorite things and place them in our two-story home with Bedrooms and Nooks upstairs. Charlie, our Acorn Chairlift gives us a chance to say a prayer on the way up... with a view of the Sky with Sunrise and Sunset. We had a Fire in our small Cottage and many momento's were burned. It is amazing how trips to quaint thrift and antique Coves has replaced so many memories. Roger's sister Priscilla oil painted Scenes of Spring, Autumn and Winter (after the Fire)) for our new dwelling built in 1988. Now Pris is our Angel in Heaven as she passed two years after she gave us the Paintings. Fascinating how God placed us where we could Grow. "When the few ashes left ask us to believe again". gently, Pat

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes, a few left to ask.
thank you, Pat,
j.

[Lorry]

There is indeed beauty from the ugliness Jacob. Even a forest fire can create a natural break for future fires, but it is just as well we will never know how few ashes we have left. 😊

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your words, Lorry,
j.