A Sentence Light on Punctuation

A Sentence Light on Punctuation

 

minimum security prison

is it safe to put a poet there?

don't let him hide his pen

he may use it to dig a tunnel

of metaphor

through walls of solid brick 

writer's block

 

and if he escapes

and is on the lam

he will be armed and dangerous

with his typewriter in his backpack

and an idea or two handcuffed to his wrist

 

If you see him typing in the shadows

of someone's back yard

please call the poetry police

do not try to apprehend him yourself

you will only become another victim

of his perilously purloined pen.

 

erin-cilberto

11/11/2025

Reviews

[Fabian G. Franklin]

The Poet of Monte Cristo with the poet playing Dantes? Well, perhaps he shall earn his just reward and vindicate his good name; take revenge on his enemies...etc. I like this. Byron's Prisoner of Chillon came to mind as well. And where would you put your pen away but in a "pen" itentiary? ;)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

ha ha ha. love your last line...I guess that is where they would go. Thanks, Fabian.

[redd Brick Keshner]

Loved it being both witty and unsettling, j. ...and turning the poet into a fugitive armed with metaphor! The humour of “poetry police” masks a deeper warning: words can tunnel through walls, escape confinement, and disarm us with their power. A clever reminder that language, once unleashed, is never truly contained. Let the leashes drop everywhere!
Freds.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for your kind review, Freds...
j.

[redd Brick Keshner]

Well and truly deserved, j. 🙏🏻🕊️

[FlatDaddy]

Damn you, Jacob, I had plans to write this very same poem this evening! I had it all sketched out (in my dream) and was stunned to see that you had "purloined" ALL of my ideas for this! It is just so brilliant I was sure it had to be one of my lost children. I knew it had crawled out of my ear and winged its way to you while we both slept last (enter date of conception here) night. This is quite cleaver (yes, that's the right word) of you, slicing off a bit of my brain while I dozed, with no inkling of your actions. Sorry, J, this was just so good it reminded me of me so I had to write and say, "Thank me, this is great!" Okay, I'll stop there. I confess, it is so good I wanted to own it. Great title, too.

[FlatDaddy]

Amazing!: after reading this piece, with no intent, I went directly to redd Brick Keshner's "hello poetry" and found a poetic partner to this one, J. Catch it here: https://www.writerscafe.org/writing/Excalibard/3118692/#comments

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes, I am such a plagiarist....:))))

[FlatDaddy]

Yes, and it was weirdly wonderful.

[W. Barrett Munn]

Great rhythm, playfulness, and sounds - what else is needed for a great poem?

Winston

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for your kind words, Winston.
j.

[Einstein Noodle]

:) ..................... thanks jacob .... for another sharing of your work ... makes me wonder .. can a poet be kept down ... me thinks not ... we are of many ilks and view points but just can't keep our pens corralled .. love you brother ... truly do ... wishing you all the best :)
E

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Poets have to keep rising...Like Plath they need to be Lazaruses ....keep coming back from the dead...keep being voices for the times, hoping someone is listening...
When there is heart in the words...there can be wisdom, there can be pleas for action...there can be determination to have feedom to speak out against that which we feel sets limits upon us.
Thank you for your words, brother E.
j..

[Einstein Noodle]

so true, jacob .. so very true :)

[Chris Shaw]

This is an amusing write j. They do say the pen is mightier than the sword. Beware of the poet :) A killer with words and the poetry police are probably far worse.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Emily D. said that words had both the power to heal and the power to kill.
That makes them pretty mighty.
Thank you, Chris.
j.

[Lorry]

Your question, is it safe to put a poetry in minimum security prison would need to be answered in the negative Jacob. Not with all those white collar criminals and rich sex offenders who would corrupt the poor poet and use his pen for more nefarious needs, like snorting lines of rich white man's powder or getting you to sign your life away to a get rich quick scheme, where they get rich quick but you get poor much faster.
And apologising for this first, but you better hope the poetry is white because if he isnt the police might just shoot first and ask questions later, saying "i thought the pen was a gun!"
They used to say the pen is mightier than the sword but had to change it when it became more deadly!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

even if they just thought they saw a pen, they would shoot.....:)))))

[Desert Knave]

If Andy Dufresne can get through the wall a poet certainly can. Nice write. ~Jim

[jacob erin-cilberto]

What a great flick...thanks, Jim.
Kudos to Rita Hayworth as well.

[Relic]

I'm sure, if they wanted to, Emily, Sylvia, or Robert frost could have - in a clever way - made a lot of trouble for people they considered of ill repute.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Oh, I bet they could have.
j.