a wonderful healing
the sunlight revealing
all darkness was stealing
from our sight
from our heart
.rtk.
Got inspired by Louise Glück’s poems about Dawn.
Took the word dawn, did the Google thing — ended up here.
flickers and dies
a shadow falls
in empty eyes
words of love
become but lies
that open door
of a tender heart
has quietly closed
‘round the fragile part
what once so sweetly natural
no longer feels quite right
the drift and fall so unseen
as but the passing of night
until one morning no dawn breaks
no tenderness nor warmth awakes
a loneliness encircles slow
you seek the one that you’ve loved so
you search their face in the predawn glow
whose eyes these are
you no longer know
through gossamer curtain’s fall
at a dark waking dream
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
ignorance and knowledge
change
so far to go
so much to learn
rise from this night
beckon the dawn
someone needs
release the light
rob kistner © 2020
https://earthweal.com/2020/10/09/earthweal-open-link-weekend-40/
I think you give voice to what’s in all our hearts when darkness sets in and we reach for dawn “to release the light.”
Been way too much darkness!
“Personal” – happens too often
“Societal” – hopefully we’ll wake from this dark dream, after the election
We can’t stop the waves of love can, but we certainly can try to redirect this societal disaster we are facing. Vote vote vote vote! Thanks for visiting again.
I like your two dawn perspectives. The sadness is noted in both and the hope for a better dawn seemingly far away. But dawn will come one way or the other! Great set Rob!
Thank you Dwight. Yes, daybreak is coming, ready or not.
Cool poem! I like the “change” verses and especially how it seems you plant it right between dark and light, ignorance and knowledge. Change is uncomfortable but leads us out of the darkness all too often. A lot to think about in the verses here! 🙂
I am pleased these made you think Tricia. Attempting to stimulate the mind, the heart, the soul, sometimes the libidos — these are always the focus of my writing… and at times, just to put a smile on a face. 🙂
I love your comment!
😉
wow Rob maybe because you found this a struggle this is really very powerful … showing the dark struggle in both the personal and societal!
sadly grief often tears couple apart when they should be supporting each other … as for the blind over there, we can only pray they see the light!
Thank you Kate. The human folly is that running awsy from a struggle makes it all easier. Truth is, it too often makes it a disaster. Oh well, we tend to choose the road more traveled, and miss the true beauty, the miracles.
The personal struggle is in our hearts and the societal struggle is hanging over our heads! Powerful words, Rob!
Thsnk you Eugeia… 🙂
With all the shadows and darkness, I find these lines uplifting:
beckon the dawn
someone needs
release the light
I love beautiful, uplifting poetry about nature and love Grace, as is evidenced in my posts. However, on this brace of poems I was going for searing truth. But the plea at the end of the SOCIETAL piece was sincere — someone indeed needs to beckon the dawn and release the light in this dark world, especially in my country, the USA.
You turned inspiration from Louise Glück into a beautiful piece of poetry. Brava, Rob.
Thank you Helen.
I enjoyed all of these Rob, especially the last one:
‘captive to the bonedeep lie
implicit in the toxic grin
of inflexible conformity’
I love the phrase ‘bonedeep lie’ – and if there was ever someone with a toxic grin, we know well who that is. Let’s hope we can release change from the shackles of fear!
Thank you Ingrid. We must send that lying fear monger packing. The tome is upon us to do it. Release that light of truth, dignity, and integrity, and blind that bastard into oblivion — forever!
the personal poem feels so tender and painful. the slow reveal of pain is beautifully shown.
for the societal poem, the refrain of change felt like drum beats getting heavier and heavier as it is repeated. powerful, Rob!
Thank you RW, you are most kind… 🙂
Both looks are mesmerising, Rob, the deeply personal sadness and disappointment of the first one, with the ‘open door of a tender heart… quietly closed ‘round the fragile part’ – so touching – and the wider despair of the second one, especially in the lines:
‘moving in these worlds
captive to the bonedeep lie
implicit in the toxic grin
of inflexible conformity’.
I really appreciate that these worked for you Kim. The were a labor of love, and a little blood was even spilled — but I put a bandaid on it… 😉
We have to keep searching. Dawn gives us hope in times of darkness. These are beautiful meditations.
Thank you Kerfe… 🙂
Bring on that dawn, Rob. I’m ready to wake up!
Oh, so am I Misky, so am I!
Rob, both of these are keepers. Your light is shining forth. I feel the acute sorrow in the first and the frustration in the second.
Thank you Lisa… 🙂 …very pleased these worked for you. Took me a day of procrastination and editing to get them on the page.
My fave line:release the light! Wonderful, Rob.
Thank you Sharry… 🙂
I hope for a new dawn and being light of November.
This world needs a major “DAWN” Bjorn — or the darkness that is settling is going to consume us, I’m afraid.
The two looks are parallel, a kindred estrangement of an accord which has lost its way.
Perhaps a dream or a vision that has run its course, or gone off course. In both something has died — the original intention.
Oh my gosh, Rob, you have outdone yourself with this prompt! I LOVE both the personal (which was so very sad as the meaning became clear and was said in the end) and the societal. These words in the societal one resonated with me:
“change
bound
with a grip
rough as rope
at the shadowed edge
of dark and light
ignorance and knowledge”
These are both powerful writes!
This is utterly gorgeous and oh so thought-provoking!!
This is very powerful. I like the imagery you use and the way you connect the personal with the societal – we are indeed at a place where the darkness needs to give way to the dawn.
Yes Suzanne, something has to give…