•
this night charles is a traveler
adrift in the mists of time
in a rough-hewn dory of his mortality
curiosity is his poleman
overcome by insecurity
charles has abandoned his reality
to sail beyond the mystery
drawn to the light of clarity
• • •
rob kistner © 2010
_____________________
NaPoMo poem #29
This is the twenty ninth and the penultimate of the poems I will write this April, in honor of National Poetry Month, as proclaimed by the Academy of American Poets.
This poem is a tongue-in-cheek, but well intentioned look at life’s many gifts, inspired by prompt #29 at read write poem.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
So Many Gifts
•
we were granted
many gifts
when we arrived
here in this life
perhaps the most precious
is the gift of family
to endure
the gift of family
and any other calamity
we were bestowed
the gift of courage
the gift of patience
is a part of this
now when we require
more reinforcement
we have the useful
gift of friends
should all these gifts
prove just too much
there is the gift
of nature’s beauty
if we overdose
on all things tranquil
the fallback gift
is our creative spark
to prevent this gift
from being wasted
we have literature
music and art
and to preserve
dark karmic balance
we’ve been blessed
with the critique clique
finally we come
to this the greatest
of all the gifts
that we possess
and that gift being
the gift of love
though we enjoy
all of these gifts
life still can be
quite tough at times
but don’t despair
no
don’t lose hope
some secret gifts
have we been granted
to give us strength
and keep us going
the first of these
our sense of wonder
and hand in hand
our sense of awe
and should all else falter
there is the failsafe
the secret weapon
our sense of humor
but please take heed
keep careful watch
if you lose this latter
my friend
you’re screwed
• • •
rob kistner © 2009
___________________________
• you can find other NaPoMo offerings at read write poem
NaPoMo poem #27
This is the twenty seventh of the poems I will write this April, in honor of National Poetry Month, as proclaimed by the Academy of American Poets.
This poem is an edited rewrite of a older poem of mine and was inspired by a moving personal experience, offered here in response to the NaPoWriMo Wordle prompt #27 at read write poem.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
Unexpected
•
unquestionable joy
in a place most unexpected
the crystalline eyes of an innocent
cruel society deems disabled
bent and stooped
impossibly twisted
confined to constant care
and his rolling metal chair
a hardscrabble life
that would drive a lesser soul
to lunacy
but his gentle eyes reflect a wonder
my jaded heart has long since lost
by arrogance extinguished
his timeless spirit knows only trust
it pours forth from his being
positioned close and cozy
to the modest stage
he is enraptured by the music
engulfed within the rhythm
enthralled by this magic
he is beaming
like an angel
the band plays fast
the band plays slow
the band plays loud
the band plays low
he rocks forward
he rolls backward
waves in jubilation
and launches heart and soul
into a wicked shoulder wiggle
as he vibrates unabashed
with pure delight
the veins of his neck
stand out full and proud
as he tosses back his head
uninhibited in laughter
tears of joy
leaking down his cheeks
his person full alive
his essence full aware
his nascent bliss aglow
he is wholly in the now
he is filled with every note
wrapped up in the cadence
sparked by the drumbeat
thrilled by every nuance
he experiences an ecstasy
at which I can only marvel
its clarity and power I can never know
it’s at this moment
that I realize
how much I do not understand
as I behold this able man
faint envy stirs
watching his unbridled joy
so complete
and unexpected
• • •
rob kistner © 2009
___________________________
• you can find other NaPoMo offerings at read write poem
NaPoMo poem #26
This is the twenty sixth of the poems I will write this April, in honor of National Poetry Month, as proclaimed by the Academy of American Poets.
This is my second metaphysical poem in two days, and was inspired by the NaPoWriMo prompt # 26 at read write poem.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
Becoming
•
as is the spark of birth
the burst of a seed
the first ray of dawn
the tug of love wakening
the moment of humility
the pen to blank page
so is the essence of becoming
• • •
rob kistner © 2009
___________________________
• you can find other NaPoMo offerings at read write poem
NaPoMo poem #25
This is the twenty fifth of the poems I will write this April, in honor of National Poetry Month, as proclaimed by the Academy of American Poets.
This was inspired by a prompt at read write poem to write a “how to” about something difficult to do.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
Being Now
•
step gently through the dream-gate
take hold the strand continuum
ride the light that carries you
to the is, was, the will be
transcendence moment
when the all is one
in the perfection
of pure being
here now
alive
∞
• • •
rob kistner © 2009
___________________________
• you can find other NaPoMo offerings at read write poem
NaPoMo poem #24
This is the twenty fourth of the poems I will write this April, in honor of National Poetry Month, as proclaimed by the Academy of American Poets.
This is about a poet struggling with inspiration, pressing to break through writer’s block.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
My Words
•
I released my words into the cold
they froze and cracked and splintered
which made them sharp and edged
and piercing
too difficult to handle
I thrust my words into the fire
they scorched and warped and blistered
which made them hot and rough
and coarse
too difficult to touch
I abandoned my words in the storm
they soaked and swelled and sagged
which made them bloat and droop
with heft
too difficult to hold
then I left my words quite well alone
in no adverse conditions
and light they rose up from my heart
and soft they rolled from off my tongue
and true they drifted through the air
where suspended souls could find them there
to take them in
and keep them safe
and treat them in a manner fair
to befriend them
in an honest way
until it was their time to share
• • •
rob kistner © 2009
___________________________
• you can find other NaPoMo offerings at read write poem
NaPoMo poem #24-A
This is poem twenty-four-A of the poems I will write this April, in honor of National Poetry Month, as proclaimed by the Academy of American Poets.
This, like poem #24, is also about a poet struggling with inspiration, trying to block out the night noises and cacophony that surrounds him on a hot sticky night.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
Dissonance
•
coarse whisper from above
promises relief
in vain
blades disturb page edges
at rest before me
in irregular rustle they taunt
impatient
untouched
no burden of remorse
no weight of mystery
do they bear
no sting of anger
no wink of mirth
with which to be dispatched
no coin of phrase to spend
dissonance
spills through the open window
the buzz, chirr, and leggy rasp
muffled keens
distant yelps
the edgy din of crawling
prowling night
intrudes in damp insistence
to fill my head
and leave not one small space
for wit or insight
all in vain
there is no relief
nothing clever
or profound
in the air this night
hot, sticky, thick
uninspired
• • •
rob kistner © 2009
___________________________
• you can find other NaPoMo offerings at read write poem
NaPoMo poem #20
This is the twentieth of the poems I will write this April, in honor of National Poetry Month, as proclaimed by the Academy of American Poets.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
This poem was inspired by the image below entitled “The Bride Wore Red”, by Pareeerica…
Spellbound
•
scarlet lady in crimson silk
a beauty to mesmerize
sculpted by a master’s hand
so seductive as to scandalize
a stare of comely crystal blue
floats above a ruby pout
spellbound by her magic eyes
she holds your soul with no way out
her tongue tip teases her top lip’s edge
like a supple paintbrush flowing
her smile will pierce and hypnotize
then wrap around you knowing
you are now her helpless captive
quite hopelessly addicted
in the velvet grip of her mystery
is she an angle or is she wicked
• • •
rob kistner © 2009
___________________________
• you can find other NaPoMo offerings at read write poem
Stir Of Love
____
the memory riveted
securely barring entry
none can pass
his bitter resolve
makes certain none will try
this is a dark forbidden place
high-walled
cold and barren
unyielding
lifeless
a wasteland of the lost
inhabited by the dead
the gate grown over
by a tangle of grief and anger
any memory
of a once vital presence
of a living breath
of warmth
of joy
forever gone
brutal night has fallen long ago
that no sun can penetrate
the blackness soothes him
he retreats into its depths
embraces its lightless void
hiding
sulking
shielded from any possibility
of further pain or remorse
he is unfeeling
safely lifeless
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
he must
this is wrong
this is trespass
this is cruel betrayal
of his lost beloved
he has no right
to leave this place of sorrow
to step into the light
no right
but it grows inevitable
all seems lost
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 it
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
____
rob kistner © 2009
NaPoMo poem #15-A
This is fifteen-A of the poems I will be writing each day here in April, in honor of National Poetry Month, as proclaimed by the Academy of American Poets.
This is a bit of sci-fi poetry, inspired by a flash fiction fantasy story I wrote a while ago.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
Otherworldly
•
I’ve watched
golden Fire Clouds
hanging in pale green skies
over the azure seas of Toluras
heard the haunting call
of the coral-winged Lellurt
soaring Droon’s violet skies
over teal Darpin Bay
seen the copper leaves
of Parmus fronds
flashing from indigo mountains
in the crystal mists of Gemin
been seduced by saffron Remmors
a’swim with siren song
translucent in the amber waters
of emerald Topiarus
I have beheld exquisite beauty
of otherworldly delight
but nothing to please my eyes and ears
as you, here, tonight
• • •
rob kistner © 2009
___________________________
• you can find other NaPoMo offerings at read write poem
NaPoMo poem #10
This is the tenth of the poems I will be writing each day here in April, in honor of National Poetry Month, as proclaimed by the Academy of American Poets.
Suggested by read write poem as a poem for day 10 of National Poetry Month; this type is known as a ‘found poem’. Passages here are borrowed from the pages of Robert A. Heinlein’s science fiction masterpiece, “Stranger in a Strange Landâ€. While still holding fast to the spirit of Heinlein’s novel, I’ve slightly rearranged, and mildly embellished the text to create this piece entitled “Valâ€.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
Val
•
valentine michael smith
was a most intelligent creature
a son
of deep space pioneers
he lived an alien
on the far frontier
his ancestry was human
raised on mars
by planet natives
he thought and felt
quite martian
he’d never laid eyes
on man
brought to earth
by scientists
who knew not
how to grok* smith
who knew not
how not to
and quickly grokked
the madhouse planet
he understood earth
and its suffering
so thoroughly
it became his own
it nearly drove him crazy
heartfelt
val reached out
to spread enlightenment
for this
he was despised
feared and hated
quite ungrokked
smith was sadly slain
his death was brutal
he died as he lived
a stranger
in a strange land
• • •
rob kistner © 2009
___________________________
*Grok – to understand so thoroughly, the observer becomes part of the observed
• you can find other NaPoMo offerings at read write poem
NaPoMo poem #9
This is the ninth of the poems I will be writing each day here in April, in honor of National Poetry Month, as proclaimed by the Academy of American Poets.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
Rapt
____
enjoying the rise and fall
twist and turn of the trail
I amble
my walking stick is smooth
clutched comfortably
in my right hand
tensions dissipate
soothed
by the audible stir of the wind
in the treetops
wafting down the western Cascade slopes
it invigorates
the steady rhythm of my footsteps
hypnotize
rounding a bend in the trail
brushing through waist-high fern
I crest a knoll
and stop
mesmerized
filtered by the towering woodland canopy
light drifts down dreamlike
settles golden
into the natural cathedral before me
a presence is tangible
a breeze enfolds me
filled with the intoxicating scent
of living earth
an addictive bouquet
of cascade red cedar
douglas fir
ponderosa pine
moss
bark
loam
and ionized mountain air
my spirit rises
my being grows weightless
any sense of self floats away
lifted into oneness
wholeness
bliss
I’m startled from my reverie
a young doe
bounds onto the trail ahead
stands proud
pauses in the golden light
she considers me briefly
then disappears
quick as a stolen glance
quiet as passing time
darting my eyes
here then there
in a vain attempt to follow her
I catch glimpse of silver-blue
shimmering
where massive tree trunks part
a wind-blow lake appears
this crisp mountain mirror
is the reason for my trek
into this mighty wilderness
climbing a boulder at trail’s edge
I sit
pull my legs under me
and lean forward
elbows on knees
I face lake-ward
basking in the energy
I grow very still
listen
gaze
I become this moment
rapt
in touch with my soul
with the eternal
transcendent
in paradise
____
rob kistner © 2009
___________________________
you can find other NaPoMo offerings at read write poem
NaPoMo poem #8
This is the eighth of the poems I will be writing each day here in April, in honor of National Poetry Month, as proclaimed by the Academy of American Poets.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
My First
•
radiant in the bloom of youth
perfect skin of alabaster
eyes blue as the sea of Zanadu
chestnut hair flows thick and lustrous
your voice is soft as spring’s first breeze
as rich and melodic as Chopin’s sonata
your beauty smolders like an august night
so much more than captivating
as your satin robe falls soft away
your shoulders catch the moon’s embrace
and as you gaze into my eyes
my heart and all of time stands still
my eyes then glide your wondrous flesh
trace the gentle edge of dark and light
where moonlight fondles your perfect form
as it enfolds you through the open window
I follow full measure your lyric essence
lost in the tangles of your silken hair
aglow in nocturne’s silvered light
as they fan in wisps your graceful neck
I linger on eager bud of tender breast
then fall entranced by the velvet flower
shadowed in the satin cleft
where supple limb meets supple limb
I reach to take you in my arms
to learn the feel of you on me
with precious care I lay you down
and enwrap you in a lover’s passion
alive in a rush of sweet sensations
I’m swept away in a flood of pleasure
so wonderfully new – you are my first
the one I always will remember
• • •
rob kistner © 2009
___________________________
• you can find other NaPoMo offerings at read write poem
NaPoMo poem #7
This is the seventh of the poems I will be writing each day here in April, in honor of National Poetry Month, as proclaimed by the Academy of American Poets.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
Ziggy
•
ivory silk french-cuffed bar-collared shirt
soft as butter sweet as cream dessert
cuff links of diamonds and pure white gold
a heady treasure – bourgeois and bold
pearl-stick-pinned satin tie knotted tight
elegant as paris on a saturday night
desert-tan gabardine three-pleat slacks
euro-cuffed razor-creased sharp as tacks
snakeskin braces buttoned sterling bright
hip and killer as a rattler’s bite
black-patton striders with alligator spats
steppin’ out classy as the coolest cats
fine pinstriped linen coat double-breasted
uptown savvy and velvet vested
full-blocked rolled-brim felt chapeau
in the deepest red of a fine bordeaux
he was crisp and smooth as a dry martini
they all called him ziggy
but his name was bob
• • •
rob kistner © 2009
___________________________
• you can find other NaPoMo offerings at read write poem
NaPoMo poem #6
This is the sixth of the poems I will be writing each day here in April, in honor of National Poetry Month, as proclaimed by the Academy of American Poets.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
…photo below entitled “Edges”, by Pensiero…
This Path
•
I have followed this path
ever onward
to where it has lead
followed its rise
and its fall
in concentric circles of time
sweeping always outward
there is much I have seen
and have experienced
much I’ve missed
and left behind
much I’ve stumbled upon
stumbled over
always to collect myself
and follow on
I have encountered the unknown
been confused
lost my way
and suffered sorrow
I have embraced the wonder
found enlightenment
understood
and known joy
but ever on
this path does lead
and I
in measured step
must ever follow
for I’ve discovered the mystery
I am not on this path
I am this path
• • •
rob kistner © 2009
___________________________
• you can find other NaPoMo offerings at read write poem
…poem inspired by a different photo from Pensiero, the individual who created the photo seen in read write image #13, found at “readwritepoem”