Expectations and Just the Way it is

Expectations and Just the Way it is

my mom got old

my dad got old

I had to let them go

my silver hair reminds

that I got old

permanence is no promise

God doesn't expect what he made

in his own image

to last forever

he allowed us to be born, getting old

I read a lot of Sylvia Plath

she never got old

didn't give herself a chance to

was she made in God's image

if he were one of us

would he get old?

is his image aging?

I must let me go

God expects that

others will take my place

my mom's place

my dad's place

and they, too, will get old.

or more Sylvias

or Elvises

or Freddie Prinze Jrs

who will never get old.

erin-cilberto

7/3/25

Reviews

[Vol]

Jacob,
For the first fifty years of my life, I wondered what itnwould be like when 2000 rolled around, aan I would be 51 in a brand new millinia... that had always been the bullseye I was shooting for! Twenty five years later I realize the NEXT goal would be the year I would die... For a long time I was afraid, "I need more TIME!" at least a couple hundred years... There is so much to see, so many mysteries out there, and Michealangelo's Pieta. and lovers to love... The wall is real, though, and when I hit it, I want to go fast and hard... See, it's too late for me... I am ALREADY OLD!
vOL

[jacob erin-cilberto]

You have me by one year...I am already old as well....but feel like I am in a good place...I like being old enough that I no longer need to please people or cowtow to their whims...I can just be me.
Thanks for relating, Vol.
j.

[Vol]

I know right? At this age we can say anything to anyone, and don't have to smile doing it!

[Tom]

Quite the profound, philosophical prose, yes indeed all that lives must onday die, God's way, nature's way, well who are we to say, we just go with the essence of that flow, sadly some chose either by own choice never to grow old, still, it was their choice...

'permanence is no promise
God doesn't expect what he made
in his own image
to last forever
he allowed us to be born, getting old '

Inspiring

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes, very sad when it was by their own choice.
thank you for your words,
j.

[MarthaKlokke]

It feels like a lament, reading this. Dying young - they become beautiful faces, frozen in eternal places.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

That is a truth, Martha.
Thank you for your comment...Elvis...as a young kid, I loved him...loved all his songs...and for me he never got old...never.

[Sapphus]

I value the silver in my hair, today it's the only thing of value I got. Trying to feel rich.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I have the same silver...we are both rich.

[DIVYA]

Ageing is cruel. Old age is generally the invisible years. You're bracketed by your chronological age and NOT by the life, zest and the dreams you may still have in you. Everything in the system is biased towards youth, globally and the support, understanding and nurturing required for people in their senior years is still missing which is a pity because many of them may have much of value still to share with the world. For women, it's gets particularly worse because they have to deal with age-shaming, contemptuous dismissals at a time when they're already coping with loss of physical beauty, bodily changes and such. We're far far away from a world where age is celebrated and older people are made to feel needed, desirable and attractive.
So yes, ageing is a death in itself because after a certain age, one dies several deaths before the final breath drawn. Sorry for being so negative but the sodden, rainy day here is making me take a good, hard look around me.
A very thought-provoking poem, Jacob.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

The age-shaming should never exist...I appreciate your insights here.
Thank you for your review, Divya.
j.

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

I like your v different simple straightforward straight to the point style.
Hope you well

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thanks Julie.
j.

[.]

Why being old is not living? This poem made me think that. Why being old already seems like dead? Can't people let life go when they are young? Can we say Hemingway and Plath and others had a good young life? They let life go... Is aging worse than death? Deep deep thoughts.
Thank you for sharing sir!

[AJNJ]

This presents a sharp contrast to what ages and what doesn't (but is dead). So death is the only alternative to ageing. Technically, yes. But not very comfortable there. Deep thoughts.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

no, not very comfortable for sure.
Thanks for your comment, AJNJ....
j.

[Brandy]

' God doesn't expect what He made in His own image to last forever. ' So true. While we're here, it's best to enjoy living. Sometimes it's difficult, because those aches and pains linger - -


My best to you, Jacob.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Absolutely true, Brandy...best to enjoy living...we just never know how long we will get to do that.
j.

[Thomas W Case]

Tremendous work, my friend. Powerful.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you, Thomas.
j.