Day: July 29, 2021

Seacide

…the moment of ultimate lonliness…


 
She walks to the sea by her home
as the bright golden sunshine shown
slips into the sea all alone
heart cold as stone — heart cold as stone

all alone with her fractured dreams
tears glistening in the sun’s beams
she’s been pushed beyond her extremes
no more she screams — no more she screams

so silently she swims away
on this beautiful summer day
she’s got nothing much left to say
she just can’t stay — she just can’t stay

she has cried and cried and denied
the horrible lies they implied
distraught — she slipped under the tide
said no goodbye – fragile she died

*
rob kistner © 2021

Poetry at: dVerse

 



Suicide hotline: 800-273-8255
Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741-741
Someone loves you.
Seek till you find them, then tell them you love them!

 

Heartbeat

April 14th 2017, at 2:00 AM, while in Evergreen Hospital, Kirkland WA, recovering from heart surgery — my heart stopped beating. I was saved by the efforts of their Code Blue team. That morning, a pacemaker was implanted in my heart. I began this poem not long after that, and finally finished it for this prompt.



 
Now at 74, I am no longer young
and I’ve become a little angry
temper’s short — health is shot
and my heart beat stopped last night

fortunately — right place right time
in the hospital following surgery
fate’s given me another chance
guess I had better get it right

I’ve borrowed bought and sold
lived in lotsa’ shades of grey
I damn near leveraged my soul
just to play this fleeting game

I have not always been so kind
played a little fast and loose
spent so much time chasing fortune
too much time pursuing fame

I pray I’ll not end up an old man
gazing lonely out my window
trying hard just to remember
exactly how long it has rained

not sitting silent by the fire
deeply mired in consternation
wondering if all that I have lost
was worth what it was I gained

what I gained is more than gold
probably more than I deserve
I have been given a precious gift
the love of a daughter and two sons

the miracle of a gorgeous grandson
the warmth of a loving family
I have so many lives to cherish
my heart beats strong for every one

 
*
rob kistner © 2021

~< My deepest gratitude to the Code Blue team at Evergreen! >~

Poetry at: Poets & Storytellers