Murder at the Royal Academy

Murder at the Royal Academy

 

the poet was found buried in metaphor

fingers bound to the keys

unfinished poem

not yet filed

facial expression, flummoxed

like he was trying to pull ideas

out of a coffined repertoire

of inspiration

but couldn't summon up a last surge

 

banging his head against the side of a figurative box

self-mutilation of meter

passive eyes staring at nothing

 

the incident still under investigation by 

critics who liked him

but never took his work seriously and

yet imagined he suffered

one really good poem might still come

even as rigor mortis was stiffly typing

his obit.

 

 

erin-cilberto

11/15/25

Reviews

[Lorry]

I. Guessing that this piece is not only relateable to me Jacob. It is a kind of bandage that poets who tie their fingers lifelong to the keyboard know the pain and suffering of trying to eke out that magic line one more time before the journey can start again, ad infinitum.
Nicely captured Jacob. I feel your pain. 😀

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I know you do, Lorry...thanks for feeling empathy towards the write.
j.

[Soren]

A satire that I identify with Jacob. It speaks for the process and the desire that most often ends not so much in the death of the poet but the poem. How many time I write and reread the poem dissatisfied, alter it to make it worse, alter again and then in dismay chuck it out. My floor is littered with scraps that I sometimes go through to salvage pieces but seldom find any that fit what I am working on. A most identifiable piece

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Altering to make it worse....such frustration that is...I am better off just leaving mine and moving on.
Thanks, Soren.
j.

[Soren]

Most welcome Jacob

[Curly Grace]

I find that I am usually my worst critic as well. I stopped writing for over a decade. However, fate intervened and sent me a soul I was tied to as a reminder of who I was once.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you...and it is good to be reminded of who we once were and maybe want to be again.
j.

[Thomas W Case]

Powerful work, my friend. Excellent.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you, Thomas...
j.

[Jimmy Crapped Corn]

sometimes you just have to be your own critic. I find that I am usually my worst critic

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I am the same way...I seldom like anything I write.
thanks, Jimmy.
j.

[Desert Knave]

I have had many a writing night where I imagined being found the next day, pen still in hand and a pile of shredded paper next to me. It is hard at times to deal with the words just suddenly not being available. ~Jim

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Oh, I know that feeling, Jim. I sure do.