Exposure

Exposure

 

 

 

firefly

scutter by

the stem

 

alight

in the 

between

love and war

 

it's all a bore

flashing power

no plan

 

and soon all of the flowers

will be extinct

and there will be

no place to rest.

 

 

erin-cilberto

3/4/26

Reviews

[Shownashappening]

This is something I feel bone deep, and if it didn't come with so much innocent collateral I'd maybe even be able to let that feeling rest.. but alas here we are with the lives of so many uninvolved in the egoic behaviours of man at risk in such a ridiculous scale. Such a high consequence for what?

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes, exactly, for what?
Thank you, Shown.

[John the Baptist]

Not your basic upper here, but a very thoughtful piece nevertheless. We are the fireflies, "scuttering" by the stem of life, caught between love and war, bored and clueless. And soon the flowers, the good things of life, will be gone we will be facing exhaustion. I wonder if it gets worse from there.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you as always for your philosophical comments, my friend.
j.

[Rosie C]

Hmm, this is a thoughtful reality check for the reader.

This piece is true to its word and can also work as a bit of a warning for some.

I admire the third stanza. Captivating choice of words. I felt really hooked reading it.

This poem is an extraordinary performance. A work of art at its finest.

A pleasure to take in.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you, Rosie.
j.

[Fabian G. Franklin]

Resting in the flowers might be temporarily refreshing but peaceful rest isn't usually a result of inactivity but quite the contrary. Some people think the last evil people in the world was the Nazis. But, to me, that's a myopic perspective. For evil to triumph does not require that good men should do evil. It only requires that good men do nothing. There can be no peace where tyranny, oppression and slavery exist. That's why the motto of the Green Beret is "De Oppresso Liber" or to "To Free the Oppressed." Freedom and democracy is the plan. It was the plan in 1776 and it's still a good plan. It only needs to be implemented. France came to America's aid in its time of need and crisis and its revolution was bloody and long. There would be another war to defend its newly established sovereignty in 1812. This is how democracies are born, with blood and hope. "The tree of liberty must be watered from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson "There are no "good" wars, only "just" wars." Freedom is worth fighting and dying for because without it there can be no independent human dignity. If we surrender our freedom to rest in the flowers we won't have either freedom or flowers to rest in.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for your words, Fabian.
j.

[QuietOptimism]

I like how the poem uses such soft words to describe the scene we're looking at, a flower and an insect buzzing by it, and at the same time mentions war, and extinction. Any person reading this can think of completely different things with destructive connotations upon reading this, but the impact of the juxtaposition makes the piece feel sad more than angry.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

It is sad, more than angry...but angry nonetheless. Thank you for the read and words, QO.
j.

[Chris Shaw]

What a destructive world we live in. The imagery in your first stanza sticks in the throat. Gaia must be crying j.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Somebody is crying, Chris...Maybe it is me.
j.

[Raven]

Soon they'll be no place to land or rest....kind of like our world today, running out of room for peace, solitude, and lives.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I say to all of them, "Stay off my block"----I just want to sit outside my house and read my book in peace.
j.

[redd Brick Keshner]

It was a slow dragonfly season for us this year. Even the flies mostly stayed away. But this vision and motion is definitely true of most seasons! Thoroughly enjoyed, j. Hopefully back more regularly. 🕊️🙏🏻
Freds.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for your kind words, Freds,
j.

[redd Brick Keshner]

Most welcome, j. 🕊️🙏🏻
Freds.

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

nature is trull on red alert

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes, Mother Nature, and man's nature...red alert for both.
j.

[Degare]

Where have all the flowers gone...♥️

[jacob erin-cilberto]

"Gone to graveyards everyone, oh when will they ever learn, when will they ever learn"
Thanks Degare.
j.