S topping is no option
the only way
is to keep
going
balanced of vision
step at a time
keep moving
forward
lest one
atrophies
frozen
are the over cautious
withered in
a cage of worry
to grow rigid
with
the rigor mortis
of fear
or worse still
immobilized
by apathy
unmoving
fallen
to the wayside of life
ineffective
here
you watch the flow
of people
the shuffle of feet
with their different sounds
according to their shoes
see shapes of faces
unsmiling lips
unconcerned of you
their void curve
denounce truth
dismiss dreams
yet unseen
the gossamer curtain’s
fall
defines their soul’s duality
the divergent reality
through which
truth is stumbling
blind
dreams hobble
maimed
terrified
you remain still
unstirring
horrified
of the wrong step
of the falacy
and frailty
of the journey all in
stiff
with unbending
ignorance
traumatizing terror
paralyzed
gawking inward
at hopelessness
at failure
fearful
that the cracks in your facade
will leave you
exposed
vulnerable
the slip begins
the
giving in
the giving up
the rot
that sets in
with
the loss of wonder
when grip lets go
of dreams
of possibility
arthritic loss of faith
debilitates
the spirit
cripples
the manifest light
that shines forth
at the leap
into darkness
into uncertainty
into the sacred unknown
of daring the way
unmarked
and thus
bleeds out
the color of life
of living
to become old
cold
grey
bent
infirm
useless
and the core-dead
furrows of wisdom
and venerable beliefs
are sown from a tower
of cracked logic
left unnurtured
to die
as putrefied husks
of
brittled remorse
and you
mired in
regret
for never having
shone so brightly
as to blind
the eyes of death
stopping is no option
*
rob kistner © 2023
Poetry at: The Sunday Muse
These lines really resonate with me Rob. Having joint issues, that is always so the case; keep moving or you will be too stiff to do anything. A lovely message in these lines and a beautiful capturing of all the images together. Thank you for being so loyal to the Muse, and keep writing my friend.
Carrie, I can’t express to you enough how important what do you offer at The Sunday Muse is to me. Visual prompts are by far my favorite type of writing prompt. For me it allows my imagination to expand the broader than any other type of prompt. So the loyalty for me came obsessively natural, and I am really going to miss your site — unquestionably! 🙁
“The loss of wonder” ~ you left no stone unturned with this one, Rob! Amazing interpretation of the images you chose. Cheers!
Thank you Helen. 🙂 I do not know how I will fill the gaping hole in the universe that will open when Carrie closes her site down. First Tess Kincaid shut Magpie down, and there was Carrie’s site to carry (pardon the pun) through. Now all I see is a visual prompt wasteland. I know it’s difficult to maintain a poetry prompt site. Over the years I have published two of them, so I am extremely grateful for Carrie to have carried through so wonderfully with her site for the years she was able. I am just not in the physical condition to publish another site, or I would open a visual prompt site again. So I will just have to cross my fingers and search the internet to see if there is another? 🙁 🙁 For me, there is no prompt like a visual prompt to inspire poetry. It is like coming upon an achingly, overwhelmingly beautiful encounter with nature while hiking. Breathtakingly inspiring like nothing else. I am extremely sad to see The Sunday Muse die.
I join you in every sentiment, Rob.
🙂
Are you familiar with Sadje’s “What Do You See?” challenge, Rob? It’s only one image weekly (on Mondays), but I dig it!
Gonna check it out my friend… 😉
This is so powerfully written, Rob. I love “frozen are the over cautious withered in a worried cage”. Wonderful. And the loss of wonder, dreams and possibility is no way to live. Wonderfully written.
Thank you so much Sherry. 🙂 I have already begun to mourn Carrie’s closing of The Sunday Muse. There is no other visual prompt site like it — that I know of. 🙁
You did good, lots of effort doing all those pictures. Of course, making the last days count. This is the second poetry shutdown for me, first the “One Single Impression” on which I got my feet wet in the writing poems. It ended August 13, 2013, and it started Monday, February 25, 2008. Several came over here when it stopped. Others just dropped out. After writing all this, I saw your name over there also.
..
Thank you Jim… 🙂
The verses provide their own encouragement to motion, this feels like a character prowling the stage, continually challenging the audience as they sit poised between politeness and a call to action.
I hope the politeness fallsm away, replaced by urgency…!
Just wonderful Rob 🙂
Thank you Ange… 🙂
Rob, this is utterly masterful.
Thannk you so verymuch David…:)
I’m in awe of where these pictures took you, Rob. After next week, Sundays will never be the same again.
Thank you Keith… 🙂 …and yes, I know. Lost Tess Kincaid’s “magpie Tales” visual prompt site years ago, and now “The Sunday Muse”… say it isn’t so… 🙁
Great of you Rob, to have incorporated the various images within. It takes quite some effort to do it!. Very good writing as always!
Hank
Thank you Hank… 🙂
Rob, Once again a master of words to stir out thoughts. I will miss the muse as will you. It’s all been a grand adventure.
Of course now I have “Tightrope” looping in my head
Hand in my hand
And we promised to never let go
We’re walking a tightrope
High in the sky
We can see the whole world down below
We’re walking a tightrope
Never sure, never know how far we could fall
But it’s all an adventure
That comes with a breathtaking view
Walking a tightrope
With you, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
With you, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
With you
Thank you True. I am trying not to think about the end, I prefer to pretend it’ll come round again — but when but when — I know not my friend. Loved your piece here my friend, thank you for sharing my friend… 🙂