(Thomas Aquinas)
sculpture by Rose Bean Simpson
a taking and a giving
pieces of one’s soul
peeled away
for the sake of the cherished
a duality of dark and light
positive and negative
that haunts the reaching out
and clutch of profaned hands
which inflict raw wounds
that also blesses the sacred touch
to sooth the burning bruise
and heal the unseen damage
a rootedness in the need to nurture
in the looking one-eyed blind
to see that which is not visible
to the unfocused seer
madness engulfs the heart
of the flat-light sighted
obscuring truth
the radiance of clarity
envelopes the sainted
illuminating the wondrous
voids of spirit
marked and remembered
are besought in the leaving time
at the crossing over
to the dream
or hard justice
I am here but for you
until all that remains are bones
taken up to strike down menace
that which means you harm
devour me complete
in validation of my path
consummation of my holy fate
I am your nourishing waters
I am your vessel of deliverance
I am your song of ascension
rob kistner © 2020
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Really kicked the butt of the prompt, brother. So much spiritual truth, validity, and hope weaved into your lines. I liked “voids of spirit, marked and remembered, are besought at the leaving time, at the crossing over.” I sincerely hope for you and me, the “leaving time” is beyond the horizon.
Thank you Glenn – and hopefully, waaaay over the horizon.
Wow. So thought-provoking!
Pleased it resonated for you Lucy… 🙂
This poem brings up the feeling of the contradictions that lie within. These two lines spoke to me.
“the radiance of clarity
illuminating the wondrous”
Glad it spoke to you Ali. True clarity is difficult to achieve, but the closer one gets, understanding unfolds.
Wow! This stirs the mind, Rob! Your lines “pieces of one’s soul
peeled away for the sake of the cherished” are so apt for the times.
Glad this resonated for you Eugenia… 🙂
Brilliant – So many lines I wished I had written. Your words spoke
directly to some of my inner thoughts. I was drumming the other
night and found myself by a river of reflection.
Thank you True. I am able occasionally to open myself more clearly to my muse, my subconscious, and things show up, essentially unprompted, that surprise me. Concepts and imagery that I just need to polish a little — sometimes not at all. It is fun. So you’re a drummer. My youngest son (42) is a pretty good drummer. He has a full set of Roland electronic drums, and a Pearl trap set of standard drums. His son, my grandson, loves to drum — and his father is instructing him.
Hi Rob. I play a Native American hoop drum that a friend of mine made. It has been blessed by elders. It’s skin is that of the buffalo and it has an amazing voice. Sometimes, we are in sync and that my friend is pure magic. Before covid I participated in drumming/dream groups.
Ps no animal was harmed for the sole purpose of making drums.
I have a beautiful hoop drum I built in a smudging ceremony when I moved to Oregon 30 years ago. Since my health has continued its advanced failure, and the arthritis has gotten so bad in my now gnarled fingers, I still occasionally meet with my old drum circle for social enjoyment — but I can no longer play… 🙁
Paradox and dualities in this challenging piece – dark/light – threat/comfort – sacred/profane – and the concluding stanzas – a bit like a prayer – nothing is solely what it is; it is many things. Terrific piece.
This was a directed stream of consciousness write, informed and focused from the very first sentence. Once I have what feels like a concluded piece, I then edit until satisfied. I enjoy using this approach from time to time Peter. Frequently it reveals an interesting poem, that reflects bits of my subconscious mind.
a rootedness in the need to nurture…
This sums up what I hear you saying throughout your poem!
You found the lynchpin of the essence of this poem Dwight. I always appreciate that you actually read my work sir — thank you… 🙂
I love the push and pull of this poem, Rob; as Peter said, it’s a challenging poem full of paradox and duality. I love the phrase ‘pieces of one’s soul / peeled away / for the sake of the cherished’, something we all need to do. I also like the (almost’ oxymoron of the ‘burning bruise’. The centre of the poem, the one line stanza, stands out clearly: ‘a rootedness in the need to nurture’.
It is a poem of tension Kim — but also intension j.It is a reflection ghat we would fo anything for those we love. Including sacrifice our soul. Snd st the same time, we can be the most painful source of hurt, dichotomy!
Such love and mysticism in your writing, Rob!
‘I am here but for you
until all that remains are bones
taken up to strike down menace
that which means you harm’
– profoundly beautiful.
Thank you Ingrid! I was feeling a strong sense of deep love, the kind of genuine love to the death. But I was also feeling the yin and the yang that makes love’s balance work. The pain and the pleasure of it. The magnificent imperfection. I unhinged my subconscious mind to write this.
the stanzas combine as loosely threaded mediation beads – and what an ending! A marvellous rendition of the prompt Rob
Thank you Laura. It was my muse taking the controls, and me watching where we were headed. It was an inspiring, fulfilling write. I wanted to hit it hard as I left the stage!
this resonates Rob and the flow stimulates … that last verse says so much!
So glad it resonated with you Kate… 🙂 thank you for your kind words.
Kim R stole my thoughts/comment on this one Rob.
Strong internal vision throughout, nicely delivered, and your closing lines perfectly resonate with your chosen epigraph. Salute!
Thank you Ron. I love to do this steered SOC writing occasionally, whdn I come up with a strong suitable first line.
Beautifully crafted.
thank you Freya… 🙂
I like the way you describe writing this in one of your replies. I can feel that in the flow of the piece. I found it most interesting to delve with you into the dualities of life around us….the darkness and the light….the pain and the joy….the suffering and the healing. The final stanze is powerful in its repeated use of “I am” A wonderful write!
Thank you Lillian… 🙂 I am not certain how clear my explanation was, but I have taken that approach of starting with a given first sentence, that can never be changed in editing – and spontaneously writing from their, no preconceived destination. It is a great adventure 🙂 you might try it for fun.
That last stanza is so beautiful. Brilliant writing, with the duality of human emotions examined, as we are flawed creatures, but real love is possible, we can grow to nourish one another! ?
Thank you Tricia. We are a dual beast, but the best among us are ruled by their better nature.
?My sparkles were stolen there?
Hi Tricia! While my WordPress platform is constantly updated to the latest version available — Mine is a very old site, with a very old theme, which I love — but is not emoji friendly. I have thousands of poems and drafts and images uploaded. I will not be changing to a new theme for fear of incompatibility. You can make a smile emoji use first the : sign and immediately after and adjacent us the ) sign 🙂 . For a frown its first the : and immediately adjacent the ( sign 🙁 — that’s the only 2 emojis available. I hope that doesn’t deter you from visiting… 🙂
haha! Envision sparkles where you see question marks, sparkle fail!!
I will always now Tricia… 🙂 I always envision Gillena’s “hearts” when I see her ??? 🙂
the radiance of clarity–that is such a pure image. I also like especially
voids of spirit
marked and remembered
This is beautiful and mysterious all at once.
I sm pleased this resonated for you Kerfe… 🙂
So many take-away lines here, Rob. Such an evocative write. At almost 87, I have a sense of clarity and contentment, and just pray my “crossing over” does not burden those I love. As do most of us, I wish to go to sleep one night and wake up in what comes after!!
Glad this resonated for you Bev! 87, bravo my friend! I do not think I will make it that far — but I hope sincerely that your exit plan comes to be exactly as you envision it. 🙂
A love that recognizes the forces that play upon it is resolute. All of that is here in your words.
I was attempting to embrace the dark and light of life with this piece Ken — without giving it a neat tidy moral.
What a beautiful final stanza!
Thank you Jane… 🙂 …hope your poetic journey to get to that last stanzas was satisfying.
Wow, um, speechless! Thats all.
More than enough Mary… 🙂
The water theme really flows through… and just like water your poem has its contradictions… it can drown you, but you have to consume it…
I love high-mountain rivers Bjorn. They are always moving. Sometimes clear and crisp, sometimes churning white water rapids, and sometimes roaring waterfalls — but always the freshness of snow-melt, and the changing energy of motion. I love high-mountain lakes for their depth and stillness — their peace, when my mind and spirit are exhausted. I am inspired to write by high-mountain water, and the wilderness. that surrounds it. I almost chose “To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night” (Gibran) — but I was feeling more nurturing at the moment I wrote “Nourishing Waters”.
the radiance of clarity
envelopes the sainted
illuminating the wondrous
I love this Rob. Your writings have always been a classic rendition of what the prompt requires. Great!
Hank
Thank you Hank! I just enjoy getting lost in the words. Pulling some out, scattering them, then wading in and assembling and reassembling them until they make a satisfying whole. So much of my life is in frequent clutter, sometimes even chaos. But the words — I seem to always be able to get them organized. Some order from chaos — although to admit it… I enjoy both, for different reasons. The chaos is exciting, the order is fulfilling. That is what also draws me to creating my multi-media art.
Yin and Yang – light/dark, positive/negative… and this is life
Yes Debi, this is the balance!
This is me, exhaling very, very slowly. An epic write Rob.
Thank you Helen, and breathe deeply… 🙂
I felt the resounding and uplifting voice towards the ending lines:
I am your nourishing waters
I am your vessel of deliverance
I am your song of ascension
This is beautifully done!
Thank you Grace… 🙂
“pieces of one’s soul
peeled away
for the sake of the cherished”
Just one example of the beauty in this poem, Rob.
Thank you Sara, I appreciate that this piece resonates with you.