Original DDE™ art: “The Old Mill” by: rob kistner © 10/7/23
In this moment, cloaked in early evening of waning October, as autumn tumbles towards winter, one knows the melancholy of the losing of the light. One feels the press of ever growing darkness, the solemnity of the advancing cold.
This is the time of endings, when the land falls dormant. This is the emptiness of harvest completed. This is death’s due vigil, when the realm is a’dance with specters, aglow with jack-o-lanterns. A reflective time when hearts hold fast to the sustaining hope of rebirth.
There settles an all-embracing quiet. From this deep silence rises an almost imperceptible murmur, like a breathless whisper. A hushed prayer of gratitude, in thanks for the harvest’s bounty, a prayer to humbly petition, with the eventual return of the light, the blessing of fruitful new life upon the now fallow land. We pray for the rebirth.
nature slumbers patiently
listening for spring
listening for the heartbeat
of new life resurrected
Original DDE™ surreal art: “The Time of Endings”
by: rob kistner © 10/7/23
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La Tieke © 10/26/2020
La Tieke © 10/7/2023
October Poems at: Poets & Storytellers
love this gentle tribute to the season, very deep layers here Rob!
Thank you Kate… 🙂
Your haibun reads like a resonating lullaby. How lovely the inevitable creeping darkness
Thanks for dropping by to read mine
Much????love
Thank you, and you are most welcome Gillena… 🙂
Great response to prompt, RK. It’s gotten almost unbearably silent up here, these past few weeks. I wish I was a hibernator.
I find it unnerving that this disease just keeps spreading. I literally haven’t gone anywhere since March. I wish I could fall asleep and be awaken when It’s my turn to get vaccinated.
Autumn resting in the dark waiting for he light! I like that.
Thank you Dwight… 🙂
I feel that melancholy, Rob. Thank you for the beautiful reminder of what we wait for:
‘eventual return of the light, the blessing of fruitful new life upon the now fallow land.’
Amen!
Thank you Ingrid I’ve always felt that the season of autumn is is really for me one of my favorites there are two elements about autumn that I find most fulfilling for such a celebration of the success of summer the bounty the arbors the Orchards it is a celebration of that success. It is also a slumbering down slowing down as we experience the darkening of the light to go to ground to prepare for the spring offers to pay for the rebirth to do all we can that the rebirth be successful be bountiful. I love them it’s says says so much is such a pivotal point I think autumn is actually more pivotal than screen spring in the summer autumn and winter sets the stage for spring in the summer and if it’s not set right spring into summer sales so I have great respect for autumn OKEverybody happy Halloween!
I would love to go into hibernation and sleep until winter and (hopefully) the pandemic are over, Rob. I love the way you describe the season as tumbling towards winter – that’s how it feels this year – and the ‘melancholy of the losing of the light’ sums it up beautifully. I also love the shift from nature’s activities to human activities in the ‘specters, aglow with jack-o-lanterns’. It’s the ‘all-embracing quiet’ and the ‘imperceptible murmur’ that cheers me up, and the thought of ‘fruitful new life’. Such a peaceful haiku!
I have to admit Kim I really enjoyed writing this. It was as if it was being given to me. It really bubbled up and percolating into an emotional visceral feeling it was probably one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve ever had writing a piece. I don’t always say or feel this wayWay but I really like this piece I respect it I think it’s perfect is a difficult word but I think it’s extremely effective so I’m proud of it and I’m glad you like it and then haiku at the end for me was probably is gentle in real there’s any haiku I’ve ever written to thank you for complementing me I appreciate that and I like the work as well not to brag this I just like it.
A time of endings… very lyrical! In Judaism, the new year begins at harvest time, so the ending (the gathering in) is juxtaposed with a new beginning.
Thank you for sharing that Freya… 🙂
You’ve every right to brag a bit about this piece, Rob. It is perhaps one of the most moving descriptions of autumn I’ve ever read. Growing up on a farm makes one especially aware of the seasons and their purpose in the theater of life. You’ve captured it so well.
Thank you Bev… 🙂 …think I got a bit full of myself there for a moment. I flinched when I read this today. Oh well…
Great close with the haiku Rob! You captured the ever true feelings of value towards greenery. It is almost an assurance to overcome the cold months and not to detest the imposed human ‘hibernation’ We are called to accept not just tolerate a little irritation before welcoming the colors of Spring!
Hank
Thank you Hank… 🙂 …wonderful things come to thise that wait.
I like that sense of hush, and the waiting for spring to return–and it will. I like the thought of the earth listening and waiting.
Thank you Merril… 🙂 …right now the world is listening and waiting for a vaccine to end this apocalyptic disease.
I love the ending… only when it’s really dark you can see the faint lights of what’s to come.
Yes, for sure Bjorn. The old sayings always hold sway — darkest just before dawn.
“nature slumbers patiently” says it all.
Some winters I wish I could be as patient Ken… 🙂
Rob–
Way behind on my reading this week. Just now getting to your wonderful fall offering. You have captured the essence of the many veils of fall. I like how you ended it, “listening for spring.”
Lisa
Glad you liked this Lisa… 🙂
What a beautiful piece of tanka prose! I’m glad the optional prompt this wek was October, so that you could resurrect it for those of us who had not seen it before. And indeed, it has a universality that can apply to any year.
Er, but … I just realised this is you, Rob, using a different name (and one, I see, which you are entitled to). You are so naughty, keeping on trying to sneak in an extra piece! Not fair to everyone else who obediently gives us one a week.
You know, you COULD have shared it next week, as our prompts are optional anyway. Wouldn’t be the first time one of the participants has said, ‘This is really in response to last week’s prompt.’ That’s perfectly acceptable. But I guess you like to play this unwinnable game. Naturally I am abou to delete your link now. Which is a pity. Perhaps you would like to share this again another time, on its own?
Linking it late was somewhat self-defeating anyhow, as fewer people return to see the late links.
Love to break rules Rosemary… 😉
Thank you Rosemary… 😉