October 16, 2021 – Image & Verse

One-eye’d Blind

Here I gaze
one-eye’d blind
through life’s gossamer curtain
at a dark waking dream
a chill hallucination
of a polarized reality

dual worlds
close enough to touch
through which truth
stumbles
blind

beyond reach

walking as a wraith

moving in these worlds
captive to the bonedeep lie
implicit in the toxic grin
of inflexible conformity

lethal tradition
revered
in mindless trance

change

shackled cold
to the stone of fear

change

bound
with a grip
rough as rope
at the shadowed edge
of dark and light
of ignorance and knowledge

change

so far to go
so much to learn

rise from this night
beckon the dawn
someone needs
ignite the light

*
rob kistner © 2021

She spent her life
building and feathering her nest
head down
consumed in the process

a woman committed
to the industry
of her task

so capable
so indendent
no time for distraction

wanting nothing
to interrupt
her single-minded endeavor

not needing
nor asking
for help
from anyone

she wanted
no sttings attached

finally one day
she rose up
to look around

to discover
she had achieved
every goal

every accomplishment
was indeed hers alone

but terribly alone
she had no one

she had it all
but at a cost

she was isolated
was entangled
in her cold
calculated
singular
success

she felt
nowhere
empty
lost

and
she
was
sad

You’ve got the mask thing
and the social distancing
wrapped in one fell swoop
but nurse — ain’t you worried ‘bout
pokin’ some damned fool’s eye out