jacob-erin-cilberto

Invitation

tattered dress,
raped emotions, damp cloth
underneath ravaged inclination to love
eyes shut,
thimble knowledge of ecstasy
destroyed in an instant---

imbued with blame
suspects her heart walked down a dark place
carelessly inviting,
but the stained rsvp
in her hand,
is something her innocence
could never have read

Predator

exhuberant raptors
tear the tissued cells of incubating babies
claws in places uncoventional

notwithstanding the will of the prey

stillborn with excessive
disposition to persevere

the babies survive

but somehow the ripped flesh
knows to weep
even when the creature has long
become extinct.

ken gilbert aka jacob "fog" erin-cilberto teaches English at

John A. Community college in Carterville, Illinios--

his work has appeared in magazines and poetry journals since 1970- His ninth book of poetry, titled "the Black Album" was released in early June--He also teaches poetry workshops for the Heartland Writers Guild and Southern Illinois Writers Guild and performs his poetry in a duet with world renown clarinetist, Eric Mandat. Their duet appears on line at www.opal-online.org. He lives in Carbondale, Illinois with his wife, poet and short story writer Laura DeMali Gilbert.

jacob erin-cilberto's poetry can be read on