Author: Rob Kistner

Pre-Dawn Window



 

Pre-Dawn Window

•

in this moonlit forest
midnight shimmers
through the misty boughs of old growth
as if star clusters dance the branches
above our high-mountain meadow
lake aglow like sterling satin

like a crystalline wonderland
this night holds deep and quiet
save a great white owl
echoing through the sparkling cedars

lover and beloved
we entwine
wrapped in a pre-dawn half-wake
a semi-lucid trance
be-dazzled by the spectacle
just outside our window

I hear myself whisper
how long have I been awake
is it morning
yet I do not want to know
I do not want to break this spell

but rather
to lie here in your arms
and fall again
into gentle slumber
to traverse with you
the time and space of dreams

• • •

rob kistner © 2010

• photorendering entitled “Moonlit Waters” – by: Daniel Pierce
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…catch the other differences at Carry On Tuesday…

NaPoWriMo #11 – Play Ball!

This is my eleveth post for National Poetry Month 2010
• one free verse poem
• one haiku



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…this piece was written in keeping with the spirit of a prompt by Angie Werren over at read write poem who asked us to write about the choice we didn’t make…

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Spring Recall

•

it is this time every year
perhaps coaxed by the warming breezes of spring
that a flood of recall is unleashed

smell of leather oiled in neatsfoot
clatter of wooden bats in a canvass bag
rattle of metal spikes on concrete
snug feel of the ballglove
tuggin’ on the cap
rollin’ the bill just right

smoothness of the cowhide sphere
grip on raised seams
click and clack of the catcher’s gear
cheers, jeers and sometimes tears
right foot on the rubber
excitement of taking signs
leg coiled for delivery
the hey batter batter
pop of the ball in the pocket
anticipation of an onrushing grounder
launching the throw across the diamond
shielding my eyes in a high sky
relief of snagging one in the webbing

feel of polished hardwood
crack of the sweet spot
exhilaration of connecting solidly
breaking down to first
taking a good lead off
soft slide into the base
the thrill of swiping second
the joy of crossing home
my teammates in a dog pile
sweet sweet exhaustion
knowing I left it all on the field

your arm around my shoulder
the pride in your eyes
root beer at the soda fountain
with the team after the game
riding home on the tailgate
of our old Edsel wagon

it is every year
at this time
that I think of all of this
that I think of you

how you wanted me to try pro
how the scout felt I had the arm
it is the path I didn’t take
you never made me feel sorry

thank you for these memories
thank you for your love

• • •

 

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Chalk Lines

•

chalk lines laid on dirt

crack of white ash on cowhide

son’s smile is a joy

• • •

poem and haiku by: rob kistner © 2010

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…for more poems about other roads left untraveled, go to readwritepoem…

Vicarious



Vicarious

•

unquestionably joy
in a most unexpected place
the eyes of an innocent
cruel society deems disabled

bent and stooped
gripped and twisted
confined to constant care
and his rolling metal chair

his gentle eyes reflect a wonder
my heart has long since lost
by vanity extinguished

his spirit knows only trust
it pours forth from his soul

he rocks and waves
sways and vibrates
fully alive in the now

positioned near the stage
he is enthralled by the rhythm
enraptured by the magic

the guitar soars
the saxman wails
the singer roars
the drummer flails

he is consumed by every note
every beat
every nuance

he experiences an ecstasy
at which I can only marvel
can only enviously imagine

oh, if I could but feel the joy
this precious being feels
so complete
and unexpected

• • •

rob kistner © 2010

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• you can live vicariously at One Single Impression

NaPoWriMo #10 – Woodpeckers / Hiking

This is my tenth post for National Poetry Month 2010
• one free verse poem
• one haiku



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…this piece was written in the spirit of Pamela Sayers’ prompt “Celebrate!” at read write poem…

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Woodpeckers

•

the two red crests are busy
hammering away
peck peck peck
big chucks of the dead pulp
flying in all directions

the elusive couple has come
down into the yard
from the climbs
of the old-growth forest
that surrounds our home
to get their fill
of early-season insects

comfortable as two dancers
they circle each other
bobbing and weaving
on the old Douglas stump
peck peck peck

beautiful in black
bold scarlet topknots
vivid white to frame the faces
majestic in their size
and mystery

these life-mates
rule our woods
often heard
peck peck peck
seldom seen
save a passing glance
of red and wing

but here they are
resplendent in the Oregon sun
emboldened by mating season
and the spring bounty

they flit occasionally
in turn
to the nearby red cedar
centuries old
live and looming
but they return to the stump
peck peck peck
preferring the delicacies
in the decaying remains

the smaller starkly-striped Downy
with his crimson cap
and wings white on black
has joined them
in this supper hour


but he swings
and pecks quietly on the suet
dangling from the eaves
having been ushered indiscreetly
from the Pileated’s banquet


a gorgeous Northern Flicker
speckled and curious
observes at a distance
from the forest canopy
not partaking in this evening’s feast

my wife and I sit silent
and amazed
captivated by the glory of nature
being celebrated
just beyond our bedroom window


we join the celebration
grateful for the privilege
humbled by this spectacle
hopeful for our planet

• • •

 

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Hiking

•

each crest a new thrill

each fresh turn an adventure

hiking the forest

• • •

poem and haiku by: rob kistner © 2010

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…for more NaPoWriMo 2010 day nine poems, go to readwritepoem…

NaPoWriMo #9 – part two: That Moon

This is part 2 of my ninth post for National Poetry Month 2010



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…this is a very sobering piece written precisely to Robert Peake’s prompt at read write poem,
and influenced by prompt #9 at Magpie Tales…

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That Moon

•

that moon
that child
hold eternity’s promise in share

colorful pails on the ocean’s beach
festooned in starfish and octopus

campfire’s ‘neath a canopy of forever stars
jelly and jam on crustless bread

lipstick smeared on a giddy grin
the world of pretend

the strum of imagination
that brings song to the young heart
the thrill of dance to a child’s feet
like god’s marionette
that drives away the limp of sorrow

but now
summer’s nocturne
has robbed the colors of the day

families gather to reminisce of
the reds oranges blues
the violets and periwinkles
so as not to forget

in hopes that the joy will return
to massage the rigid cold to warmth again
the sun to re-torch the heavens

the children first see the gray descend
the gapes and gaps
the lever of lies
that loose the flaps that confine the fear

they feel the slippage
the hole in the universe
the backward motion
as all things gentle are sucked in

gray has overcome the landscape
gray is in the houses
and the homes
gray is at the dining table
black awaits in the chamber
when no one sober roams these rooms
and no one safe
is that child

when wrong things burn
bitter as paregoric
the way jugged whiskey
johnny walker
burns the throat
burns that skin
like bare knee on rough rug
like pumice on raw flesh
and winter chills the heart

when laughter bows out
and lies bow in
like the poison in a lizard’s wattle
with denial of the promise
of violet and periwinkle
oranges blues reds

but now
gray

and black waiting at the fringe
with the talon’s piercing sting
and the startled bruise
that begins the tome
of that child’s life
disappearing like smoke up a chimney

that child’s smile stowed away
in keeping for the time of that moon
and that promise
when the periwinkle will return

• • •

rob kistner © 2010

(inspired by a Michael Kenyon poem, “Feast”)

• photorendering entitled “The Edge” – by: rob kistner © 2010

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…for more NaPoWriMo 2010 day nine poems, go to readwritepoem…

NaPoWriMo #9 – Jazzzzz

This is my ninth post for National Poetry Month 2010
• one free verse poem
• one haiku



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…this piece was written in keeping with the spirit of a prompt by Robert Peake, over at read write poem…



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Jazz in a Parallel Universe

•

we was scorchin’
torchin’
in the zone
lighting chops
flamin’ righteous

primo riffin’
smokin’ sacred
glorified ‘n sanctified

fused bruised and overused
the big axe jumped
pumped
and thunder thumped
lubed ‘n locked âN lugnut crazy

scene was pure
to the fringe
slammin’
jammin’
come to jesus

skins was raucous
reeds was rippin’ trippin- sanity slippin’
blood ‘n bone on broken tusk
brass ‘and n balls to the bell-tone edge

soul elation
elevation
riot smooooooth
‘n devastation

upright
‘n bottom tight
we brought down the house
this velvet night

• • •







 

Jazzin’

•

first notes soar skyward

stars shine in the clear night air

jazzin’ has begun

• • •

poem and haiku by: rob kistner © 2010

• artwork at top of post entitled “Hot Licks” – by: rob kistner © 1997

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…for more NaPoWriMo 2010 day nine poems, go to readwritepoem…

NaPoWriMo #7 – Free / Ready to Roll / Old School

This is my seventh post for National Poetry Month 2010
• one free verse poem
• one haiku
• one onomatopoeia
• one noxious fume
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Free

•

fueled by the freedom of the open road
we race our way into the sunset
leaning tightly into curves
wind whipping our hair
our knees tucked
heads down
we rocket

thriving on the thrill of the throttle
embracing the magnificence
living in the moment
not counting time
or keeping track
just being
free

• • •

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Ready to Roll

•

engine oil changed

grips cleaned tire pressure checked

spring’s highway beckons

• • •




 

Old School

•

(onomatopoeia)

kick down — kick down — kick down

rest

kick down — kick down

rrrroarrr

rev rev rev rev

• • •

poem, haiku, and onomatopoeia verse by: rob kistner © 2010

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Here’s a little sumpin’ sumpin’ I wrote for Alan Summers’ day 7 RWP prompt: “humor in love”.

 

Phew

•

who knew lovemaking would end
with my lover breaking wind
oh god did that foul stench offend
we’ll not soon make sweet love again

here’s one thing that I’ll be hope’n
if we do the windows open
no refried beans next time we’re flirty
‘cause on a scale of ten that fart’s a thirty

•

(in tanka form)

our loving did end
when my sweet lover broke wind
a stench to offend

no beans next time we’re flirty
ten scale – that fart’s a thirty

• • •

poem and tanka by: rob kistner © 2010

• photorendering of man holding nose from: Getty Images — modified by: rob kistner 2010

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…for more NaPoWriMo 2010 day seven poems: readwritepoem…

NaPoWriMo #6 – The Cast / The Rise

Rhiannon had suggested in the day 6 NaPoWriMo prompt at Read Write Poem that we sort through a collection of our pictures as inspiration for this day’s poem. Although I veered a bit from her precise suggestion, the process of sorting brought me to the pictures I have of my fishing adventures, and that inspired this — so thanks Rhiannon!



This is my sixth post for National Poetry Month 2010
• one free verse poem
• one haiku
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The Cast

•

cliff-climbing conifers
stir in the brisk dawn
as breezes swoop the gorge
rustle my jacket
nip my cheeks

across the casual rapids
near the stony shore
rainbows surface in slack water
hungrily gulping morning hatch

my most recent offering undulates past
in the glinting chatter of spring flow
unacknowledged

chuckling
I turn

elbow steady
I begin to rotate my lengthy bamboo
behind to two PM.
silently stripping the slender thread
from current’s surface
leaving a razor crease
disappearing quick as it comes

the lacquered rod bends forward as I lift
then slowly flexes back
the line arcs behind in flight
trailing silvery spray

backward pressure builds
as line nears full unfurling
but just before
a smooth return
slowly brings the shaft
again to ten AM

now
I feel the forward pull of the soaring mass
as overhead the line recoils
midair

the glass-green fiber
rolls out ahead
over azure ripples

the singing strand painting an “S”
in the cloudless sky

quick
smooth
and quiet
the line is re-wed to stream

the feathered morsel at the tip
offered yet again
coaxing a ready trout
to rise
and strike

• • •





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The Rise

•

fly reel freshly oiled

new tippets cut and tied firm

spring trout on the rise

• • •

poem and haiku by: rob kistner © 2010

• photorendering at top of this post is entitled “The Cast” – by: rob kistner © 2010
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…for more NaPoWriMo 2010 poems: readwritepoem…

Infinatum

 

 

Infinatum

•

…this is an ecstatic poem echoing the mystic tradition…

their fire and light
incandesce my essence
burn deep my soul
stir my spirit
unsettle my being
ignite my wonder

and whet my seeker’s vessel
with need to be filled full

at once familiar
yet exotically foreign
strangely boxed
but exquisitely wrapped
in longing
loss
love
and infinitely more

they reach to a hollow place
deep within
echoing a past
awakening a myth
exposing that which I embrace
in the moment
as truth

stirring my pain
my loneliness
my hope

offering just enough answer
that I combust with questions
sacred uncertainties

suspended in inquiry
in memories of neverwas
recognition of evermore
enrapt in blissful cognizance
of that which is not known

I am transfixed by mystery
elevated by insight
impaled by vision

spellbound

• • •

rob kistner © 2010

• artwork entitled “Infinity Portal” by: rob kistner © 2010

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…you can find more cognizance at One Single Impression…

NaPoWriMo #5 – Kathleen / Blossoms

This is my fifth post for National Poetry Month 2010
• one free verse poem
• one haiku
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Kathleen

•

he has kept it locked for so long
none can pass
his grief makes certain none will try

this is a dark forbidden place
high-walled
cold and barren
unyielding
lifeless

brutal night has fallen
no sun can penetrate

the darkness soothes him
he retreats into its depths
hiding
shielded from any further pain

but see
a shadow falls across the threshold
someone approaches

a comely being
warm and alive
lays gentle siege
threatening to breach his hardened fortress

but this lovely creature
fair and fragile
can not possibly gain entrance
must not

he will resist
this is wrong
this is trespass
this is cruel betrayal of his lost beloved

he has no right to leave this place of sorrow
no right

but his stronghold is succumbing
falling to this delicate advance

he is vulnerable
terrified
but it is useless to resist

searching with a patient heart
she has found the key
grasped in her loving hand
fingers tenderly enfold it

gently
she slides it into the lock
turning with great care

he is defenseless
he feels his heart slowly open
the long forgotten stir of love
begins to warm his soul

• • •





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Blossoms

•

sweet pink blossoms fall

red spring buds will take their place

soon will be cherries

• • •

poem and haiku by: rob kistner © 2010

• photorendering entitled “The Key” – by: rob kistner © 2010
base image by: Getty Images
• photorendering entitled “Blossoms” – by rob kistner © 2010
base image by: Harold Davis
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…for more personal NaPoWriMo 2010 poems: readwritepoem…

Brushstrokes of the Heart

 

 

Brushstrokes of the Heart

•

we were beautiful
as a painted egg

smooth couple
balanced relationship
bright and colorful
lovely to behold

at arm’s length

but we grew hollow
superficial
fragile
brittle

too easily crushed

and once so
forever broken

no over-lacquer
of sustained love
to add substance

no second coating
of genuine honesty
to insure strength

we lost
the tender brushstrokes
of the heart

• • •

rob kistner © 2010

…come see egg-zactly what’s breakin’ at Magpie Tales…

La Difference



 

La Difference

•

I take her into my arms
she brings her lips to mine

I run my hands down her back
caressing the satin flesh
that tapers to my touch
until my fingers
gently cup the firm and tender
that swells and rises
atop taut lush velvet stems

we collapse in passion
folding into one another
her breath hot on my neck
as I whisper warm into her ear
vive la difference
my love
vive la difference

• • •

rob kistner © 2010

• photorendering entitled “The Embrace” – by: Getty Images
_______________________________

…catch the other differences at Carry On Tuesday…

NaPoWriMo #4 – Now / Time To Smile

This is my fourth post for National Poetry Month 2010
• one free verse poem
• one haiku
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Nelle Lytle put forth a fascinating and challenging prompt at Read Write Prompt for day #4 of NaPoWriMo. We were to look at things inside out. At first I was perplexed. I kicked a number of ideas around and was hitting the wall, when it struck that inside out is a condition of perspective – a point from which things are viewed. You see one from the other.

I started thinking about situations in which I view one from the other, when it hit me – time! I continually view the “other” aspect of time from where I am… looking at the past or future while being in the present. That’s all it took. My muse (and Ram Dass) carried me from there.

I not only wrote a new poem, I created a new collage. Thanks Nelle! 😉

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…collage above entitled “Time” by: rob kistner © 2010…

 

Now

•

the future — the past
tomorrow — yesterday
time’s not hard and fast
moments slip away

fretting what we miss
we ponder destiny
yet today is all there is
ever was — will ever be

days not yet arrived
ones that slipped away
not present in our lives
there only is today

can’t change what’s gone astray
or know what is to come
embrace what is this day
stop running to and from

forget the come and gone
all the who what when and how
don’t get lost looking beyond
learn to truly be here – NOW

• • •

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Time To Smile

•

turning clocks forward

evenings last longer now

so too will my smile

• • •

poem and haiku by: rob kistner © 2010

• graphic rendering of smiling clock configured and colorized by: rob kistner

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…for more poetic perspectives on NaPoWriMo 2010: readwritepoem…

Fear

…I share this piece I wrote in the descending 3rd evening, of a horrible 4 days, not as my primary contribution to day 3 of National Poetry Month, but in light of the RWP topic “fear” — as a way to reach out to others who may, at times, suffer the debilitating horror of extreme manic depression. This ‘elevator’ can take you so very high, but when it falls… however, it can be overcome if one recognizes it, faces it, and refuses — everyday — to give it victory…

Fear

•

there is a darkness

I have known its presence
encountered its essence

it frightens me
it frightens me because it is
because it is so very devious
sinister
debilitating
all-consuming if granted license

it lurks in shadow
collecting

collecting the dark matter
that steals into my life
into my heart
all the grief
failure
pain

all the terror
that has ensnared me in times of weakness
all the empty blackness that has befallen me
that has found a corner of my soul in which to hide
to sulk
secure foothold
like an awful seed taking root

here it grows
here it dwells
manacled and restrained in times of strength
kept in check by my decent self
my self that loves
encourages
supports
that embraces possibility
my sacred self that nurtures
that fosters empowerment

but

my inner-dwelling light
does not always shine so bright

does not always hold sway
nor control my inner darkness
my inner darkness has great cunning
powerful influence

it is at times quite un-containable

this darkness
that has fed upon the horror
that has been visited upon me

the betrayal the abuse
the unthinkable loss
that has compounded and festered
that has become animate
as if an entity unto itself
that has gripped and driven me

distraught
despaired
vengeful
unforgiving

driven me to a perverse unholy bitterness
wholly unable
to fend off the clutches of this malevolence

it is on occasion far easier
even desirable
to succumb to these dark forces
that promise relief
falsely entice with imagined satisfaction

but there is no quick release from the pain
from the sorrow
that is an inherent component of life

one must endure
and be tempered invincible by this endurance
steadfast in the crucible of resistance

but the inner-mounting darkness
will ever seduce
its tug is powerful

I pray here tonight
as I am swept up
in bittersweet memory of you
overwhelmed by the sorrow of loss

I pray that the darkness
does not sense that I am vulnerable
does not prey upon my growing distress
that falls shadow-like across my soul
that veils my resolve
my courage

I pray that the black void
does not birth the despair
the anger that begets my other
my alter
my poison self
that I so detest

…and fear

• • •

rob kistner © 2010

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• return to readwritepoem

NaPoWriMo #3 – The Leap / New Life

This is my third post for National Poetry Month 2010
• one free verse poem
• one haiku

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…facing one’s fear…

 

The Leap

•

she need not be frightened
she knows the moves
sees the steps
clearly in her mind

she knows the stride
the position of her body
just before elevation

she understands the speed
the run up
the lead foot
the plant angle
the knee bend
the thrust

she has done this
literally thousands of repetitions
no need for trepidation

she knows the energy of the moment
of the crowd
as they anticipate
as she anticipates
the lift off
the rise

the glorious weightlessness
the thrill of flying
the feel of returning to earth
to her toes
her feet
how to offset the momentum

to snap to a graceful stop
come to point
straight and strong
arms raised and extended

the applause
that exhilaration

she knows this all
to her bones

she can do this
in her sleep

she has this mastered
she is a master dancer

but

that flash of doubt
and again
she fails

there is now one leap
she fears she cannot master

the leap
back through time
to her youth
to her glory
her invincibility

still
she leaps

she will always
leap

• • •

________________________

 

 

New Life

•

wife in her mud shoes

clatter in the potting shed

soon will come new life

• • •

poem and haiku by: rob kistner © 2010

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…for more fearless NaPoWriMo 2010 poems: readwritepoem…