Day: September 12, 2019

unreal
unfathomable images

the graceful glide
engulfed by the spire
in a roar of golden orange

horribly beautiful

perversely mesmerizing

obscene
devastating images
of madness

torrents of humanity
raining down
desperation their only escape

masses of humanity
racing
to outrun the unbelievable

praying
to be delivered
from the inconceivable

traumatic images

shrines of free commerce
consumed
by the unbearable weight
of their fragile significance
plummeting to earth
in a cloud of self-destruction

heartbreaking images

screaming
dazed
terrified souls
consumed
by the unbearable weight of the moment

staggering onward
to outdistance the surging roll
of all-engulfing
pulverized aftermath

courageous images

battered
determined
tireless heroes

those who were called
who served unselfishly

some
who gave the ultimate service

haunting images

color
gender
ethnicity
wiped away
from the ashen-grey faces
of the traumatized throngs

now just masks of calamity

all made equal
by horror and grief

one nation
under siege
inconsolable
with tragedy and sorrow
for all

unforgettable images
burned into our hearts

rob kistner © 2019

just beyond
the big roan
rustles in his stall
as the faded red slats
of the weathered horse barn
creak in the gentle zephyr

inside
at the green oaken table
we sit with dinner
and complacency

there is little resonance

we care for one another
our love goes without saying

meal finished
we clear the table
to the clinks and clanks
of porcelain dishes
and sterling silverware
being rinsed and placed
in the stainless steel sink

we converse very little

no need
we know each other
we know without saying

task done
we part quietly

me
to my rosewood desk
to my keyboard

you
to your tan leather chair
to your book

outside
sunset softly shades golden
the side deck
as come easy sounds
of settling horses
content from final feeding

tubular bells lilt quietly
in gathering twilight

inside a shadow of indifference
blankets subtle electronic ticks
as I type in silence

I think about the times we’ve hurt each other
caused each other thoughtless pain
but that carelessness has been forgiven

we are bound
one to the other
a bond that goes without saying

outside
a brisking wind greets day’s end
chimes vigorously keep pace

inside
a turbulent uncertainty
begins to stir
as the more I type
I wonder

are we really happy
surely we are happy
that goes without saying
that must go without saying
doesn’t it

but why is it we do not say

we wear these masks of coy silence
to hide the vulnerable face of love

how dangerously foolish we’ve become

it’s then
my heart wants to call out
to reach across the soundlessness
to rouse you from your pulp and plot

talk with me
I lift my mask
see me now
see me new
talk with me
I can still surprise

let us speak
what is not spoken
unmask what lies within our hearts

unmask
and talk
before our love is gone
without ever saying

outside
copper chimes
ring out in the darkness

inside
steel silence
sounds aloud

rob kistner © 2019