Tweetspeak Poetry

  • Home
  • FREE prompts
  • Earth Song
  • Every Day Poems—Subscribe! ✨
  • Teaching Tools
  • Books, Etc.
  • Patron Love

Poets and Poems: S.R. Jakobi and “Antiques & Curios”

By Glynn Young 4 Comments

It’s not exactly rare, but it is a bit unusual these days to find an entire poetry collection built around a single story. The last one I recall reading is The Long Take by Robin Robertson, some 20 months ago. That was a genre-bending work of fiction, poetry, and crime story that defied classification.

Antiques & Curios: Fragments of a Love Affair by S.R. Jakobi is clearly a poetry collection in the conventional sense, but its 96 poems center on one event: a love affair between an older man and a younger woman, work colleagues who almost accidentally stumble into and fall for each other. The poems tell a single, usually chronological story of the relationship—how it begins, develops, matures, deteriorates, and eventually ends. Except it doesn’t end, not really; it’s carried on in memory for decades.

The affair begins after a game of cricket, a chance conversation that both find charming. He helps her avoid a puddle, and imagines himself Sir Walter Raleigh, spreading his cape. It’s a dangerous comparison, one that leads directly to the affair.

Through the poems, we follow a “first time-around” with all of its urgency and passion. The relationship ends, but is renewed in a “second-time around,” less urgent but just as passionate, until it reaches an end that both recognize as the end. But an aftermath follows, because they both work in the same business and they can’t help but occasionally see each other. That’s all the aftermath is—the reigniting of a memory that is barely a flicker of what the reality had been.

In this poem, early in the relationship, the unease and insecurity are already beginning, a harbinger of what is to come.

Cinders

you still have not phoned,
I wait at our office,
the summer quiet,
industry suspended,
in deep dormancy

I park myself,
unable to work,
tune in the radio,
bandwidth squander,
vacuity and time ill-used,
unrestrained nonsense

until melody,
familiar lyric,
tantalizing, hesitant
string sound,
note against note,
a funky bass guitar,
layered voices

cinders in my mouth,
I flee, an impulse for
urgency, take the
train to the city,
to find you

noisy crowds, jostle,
city active with life,
but not you

scanning, tired.
deep within me,
a cry,
frustrated sigh

Jakobi is a late arrival to writing poetry. A former university lecturer, he received degrees in business and languages, an M.A. in history, and a certificate in teaching. He has four poems included in an anthology, The Poets Symphony (2020), and is currently working on a sequel to Antiques & Curios and a collection of poems illustrated by his own photographs. He lives in England.

Antiques & Curios not only tells the story of a love affair, but also conveys a sense of loss without regret after the affair ends. It tells its story from the perspective of old age, looking back and understanding what happened. And it illustrates how an affair in the past can continue to shape one’s understanding of the present.

Related:

S.R. Jakobi interviewed at The Wombwell Rainbow

Photo by Nan-Cheng Tsai, Creative Commons, via Flickr. Post by Glynn Young.

Browse more book reviews

__________________________

How to Read a Poem by Tania Runyan How to Read a Poem uses images like the mouse, the hive, the switch (from the Billy Collins poem)—to guide readers into new ways of understanding poems. Anthology included.

“I require all our incoming poetry students—in the MFA I direct—to buy and read this book.”

—Jeanetta Calhoun Mish

Buy How to Read a Poem Now!

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Glynn Young
Follow Glynn
Glynn Young
Editor and Twitter-Party-Cool-Poem-Weaver at Tweetspeak Poetry
Glynn Young lives in St. Louis where he retired as the team leader for Online Strategy & Communications for a Fortune 500 company. Glynn writes poetry, short stories and fiction, and he loves to bike. He is the author of Poetry at Work and the Dancing Priest Series. Find Glynn at Faith, Fiction, Friends.
Glynn Young
Follow Glynn
Latest posts by Glynn Young (see all)
  • Do You Remember the First Poetry Book You Bought? - September 26, 2023
  • Poets and Poems: Yvor Winters and “Selected Poems” - September 19, 2023
  • “The Battle of Maldon” by J.R.R Tolkien, Edited by Peter Grybauskas - September 12, 2023

Filed Under: article, book reviews, Books, love poems, love poetry, Poems, poetry, poetry reviews, Poets

Get Every Day Poems...

Comments

  1. Maureen says

    May 26, 2020 at 8:55 am

    The short lines, spare words, and punctuation all lend that poem a staccato feeling, staccato also being a musical term. That the poet names it “Cinders” also speaks to what he knows will not last.

    I wonder, does the form of the poems change, or the words or tone, etc., vary as the poems progress?

    Reply
    • steve says

      May 30, 2020 at 11:57 pm

      Hi Maureen

      There is a music theme rippling within the collection. Changes in tone from loving to despair, and all points in-between, quite a bit of the latter as the collection progresses.

      The staccato rhythm echoes the sense of urgency of action. And also the train journey clickety-clack. “Cinders” – the song is Ashes to Ashes – and nearly 30 years later my mind plays out those few minutes of decision making to its tune.

      Thank you for your comments – they are very much appreciated.

      Best wishes & keep well!!

      Steve (s r jakobi)

      Reply
  2. Glynn says

    May 26, 2020 at 9:57 am

    The poems are all free verse. They do vary in length, some shorter and some longer. But all are generally on the shorter side.

    Reply
    • steve reizlein says

      May 30, 2020 at 11:42 pm

      Hi Glynn

      Thank you for your perceptive and very kind review of my poetry collection.

      Cheers & Keep Well!!

      Steve

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For the Writer in You

Take How to Read a Poem

Get the Introduction, the Billy Collins poem, and Chapter 1

get the sample now

Welcome to Tweetspeak

New to Tweetspeak Poetry? Start here, in The Mischief Café. You're a regular? Check out our September Menu.

Patron Love

❤️

Welcome a little patron love, when you help keep the world poetic.

Your Comments

  • Glynn on Do You Remember the First Poetry Book You Bought?
  • Sandra Heska King on Do You Remember the First Poetry Book You Bought?
  • Glynn on Do You Remember the First Poetry Book You Bought?
  • Glynn on Do You Remember the First Poetry Book You Bought?

Join the Year of the Monarch

How to Write Poetry

Featured In

We're happy to have been featured in...

The Huffington Post

The Paris Review

The New York Observer

Tumblr Book News

Stay in Touch With Us

Categories

Learn to Write Form Poems

How to Write an Acrostic

How to Write a Ballad

How to Write a Catalog Poem

How to Write a Ghazal

How to Write a Haiku

How to Write an Ode

How to Write a Pantoum

How to Write a Rondeau

How to Write a Sestina

How to Write a Sonnet

How to Write a Villanelle

5 FREE POETRY PROMPTS

Get 5 FREE inbox poetry prompts from the popular book How to Write a Poem

Shakespeare Resources

Poetry Classroom: Sonnet 18

Common Core Picture Poems: Sonnet 73

Sonnet 104 Annotated

Sonnet 116 Annotated

Character Analysis: Romeo and Juliet

Character Analysis: Was Hamlet Sane or Insane?

Why Does Hamlet Wait to Kill the King?

10 Fun Shakespeare Resources

About Shakespeare: Poet and Playwright

Top 10 Shakespeare Sonnets

See all 154 Shakespeare sonnets in our Shakespeare Library!

Explore Work From Black Poets

About Us

  • • A Blessing for Writers
  • • Annual Theme 2022: Perspective
  • • Annual Theme 2021: Generous
  • • Our Story
  • • Meet Our Team
  • • Literary Citizenship
  • • Poet Laura
  • • Poetry for Life: The 5 Vital Approaches
  • • T. S. Poetry Press – All Books
  • • Contact Us

Write With Us

  • • 5 FREE Poetry Prompts-Inbox Delivery
  • • 30 Days to Richer Writing Workshop
  • • Poetry Prompts
  • • Submissions
  • • The Write to Poetry

Read With Us

  • • All Our Books
  • • Book Club
  • • Every Day Poems—Subscribe! ✨
  • • Literacy Extras
  • • Poems to Listen By: Audio Series
  • • Poet-a-Day
  • • Poets and Poems
  • • 50 States Projects
  • • Charlotte Perkins Gilman Poems Library
  • • Edgar Allan Poe Poems Arts & Experience Library
  • • William Blake Poems Arts & Experience Library
  • • William Shakespeare Sonnet Library

Celebrate With Us

  • • Poem on Your Pillow Day
  • • Poetic Earth Month
  • • Poet in a Cupcake Day
  • • Poetry at Work Day
  • • Random Acts of Poetry Day
  • • Take Your Poet to School Week
  • • Take Your Poet to Work Day

Gift Ideas

  • • Every Day Poems
  • • Our Shop
  • • Everybody Loves a Book!

Connect

  • • Donate
  • • Blog Buttons
  • • By Heart
  • • Shop for Tweetspeak Fun Stuff

Copyright © 2023 Tweetspeak Poetry · FAQ, Disclosure & Privacy Policy

We serve poetry with our cookies. Because that's the way it should be.
We serve poetry with your cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you... accept the cookies with a smile.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
update cookie prefs

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT