This poem was inspired by a suggestion from Andy Sewina, aka SweetTalking Guy. This is a very brief flash fiction written in three American Sentences, a poetic form conceived by Allen Ginsberg.
~
jack and Neal on the road
were rape’n their angst
in carnal combustion
allen was howl’n
pal’n with corso
but still white-hot for peter
hunter was fearful
loathing it all
as bohemia went tie-dye
~ ~ ~
rob kistner © 2009
I embark toward noonday
the joy of discovery palpable
senses saturated and alive
blissfully consumed
by a deep satisfaction
that permeates this afternoon
my soul is full my mind is clear
my heart — overflowing
as dusk descends upon this place
with heady grace and expectation
my stride is smooth and steady
the downing sun — a gentle gold embrace
early shadows fall soft across my face
as vesper’s velvet blanket
drapes its comfort ’round my shoulders
splendid calm envelops me
yet there are other shadows
strange distractions
that disrupt my moments
they come unannounced – almost imperceptible
but there is still far to go
I am eager to journey
drawn by the beauty
that is the rising moon in sunset
facing into the evening breeze
I venture onward
rolling amber and coral
spreads across the horizon
again the shadows shift
dull confusion finds me
I lose my pace and focus
to draw up in momentary halt
nagging concern
disquiets me
a stab of panic
pierces my solace
unwelcome bewilderment
grips me
holds me
uncomfortable in my skin
a cloud of frustration
sweeps over me
obscuring briefly
my purpose and destination
then the fog wafts
and again I see
across the veiled valley
my hearth & home
but I wander
and once more lose the path
as the mist settles
like a shroud
twilight is coming
much too quickly
and my concern
at first a nuisance — mounts
a gathering fear
gnaws inside
fear I will not make it home
before this sunset
I am afraid
to lose this light
I am afraid
to lose my way
• • •
rob kistner © 2009
• I chose to write this piece to reflect the very early stages of Alzheimer’s when the individual is not certain what is happening and has not yet been diagnosed – but is beginning to become concerned, and the fear begins to rise.
In some ways, this is the disease at its most devious. It is manipulating the person, yet they’re not aware what evil is overtaking them.
This piece was written to emphasize that devious nature. Alzheimer’s is a sneak thief that subtly begins to disrupt our daily life, and steal pieces of time, creating a fractured reality — that gradually grows more and more unsettling. It then begins to rob us of our life-learned skills, our talent, our grace, and our dignity. Finally it kidnaps our memories, our loved ones — and then takes our life.
The stanzas are of gradually diminished size to reflect the diminishing nature of this killer •
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-set #28
This is the twenty eighth day of poems I will write this April, in honor of National Poetry Month, as proclaimed by the Academy of American Poets.
This set of seven haiku were inspired by the read write poem NaPoWriMo prompt #28, “Seeing Red”.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
Seven Red
•
inquiries of heart
from summer red lover’s lips
float like butterflies
•
green leaves on blue pond
float in golden summer sun
red bird softly sings
•
golden sun burns bright
scorching the red rock canyon
Sedona summer
•
eyes red from crying
words cannot be taken back
she will leave today
•
a ruby droplet
the yellow rose bears sharp thorns
we will share red wine
•
path forked this spring morne
white-tails chose tall trees instead
redwoods are safety
•
spring snow-pack’s melting
fresh mountain stream tumbles clear
under red maples
• • •
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 #23
This is the twenty third of the poems I will write this April, in honor of National Poetry Month, as proclaimed by the Academy of American Poets.
This is a bit of whimsy inspired by the read write poem NaMoWriMo prompt #23, “a different hat”.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
Fashion Faux Pas
(‘hoot’ couture)
•
I see you smirking at my hat
it’s aluminum foil – imagine that
it helps with my cell phone reception
and fascinates my cat
keeps UV rays off my bald cranium
collects morning dew for my geraniums
makes me invisible to radar
and impervious to uranium
when wearing it I’m seen from space
the reflection helps conceal my face
when raining it will never rust
it’s aerodynamic if I run a race
it made my paper’s style page
and it will soon be all the rage
the good news — one size fits all
and it’s great to line your birdcage
so don’t make fun of my chapeau
it’s great for people on the go
and quite handy if you’re grilling out
or wrapping take home from the bistro
a tip in closing I will bestow
don’t use tin, it’s crass and low
folks will stare and shake their head
tin is such a fashion ‘no’
• • •
rob kistner © 2009
___________________________
• you can find other NaPoMo offerings at read write poem
NaPoMo poem #22
This is twenty second 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 homage to Gaia, our mother earth, in celebration of Earth Day 2009. Embedded within this free verse poem are a trio of haiku, each focused at our earth.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
Earth Day 2009
For Granted
•
consciously
or unconsciously
confident of gravity
that it will keep you
anchored
in your bed
snug in your bed
that you won’t wake
to find yourself
having floated off
now entangled
in the sweeping branches
of the willow
in the backyard
that wonderful weeping willow
always bending
and swaying
like some sinewy
sap-laden
great elephant
trundling
great elephant
trundling
and swaying
on the lookout
for water
in the arid
african bush
such majestic
mysterious
beautifully dangerous bush
in africa
the amazing dark continent
with zebras
and giraffes
and lions
and of course
elephants
in africa
in the earth’s
southern hemisphere
and all of this
kept firmly aground
by earth’s gravity
pretty astounding
when you consider
earth hurtles through space
eighty times the speed of sound
racing toward hope
our frail earth needs hope
desperately it needs help
it is in trouble
our earth’s crying out
it’s balance has been disturbed
we humans don’t hear
all we ever think about
is bed
money and bed
and gravity
and then
often only in passing
when we’re not
simply
taking it for granted
the earth
and all these incredible things
for granted
• • •
rob kistner © 2009
___________________________
• you can find other NaPoMo offerings at read write poem
NaPoMo poem #21
This is twenty first 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 wedding prayer inspired by the read write poem NaMoWriMo prompt #21, “rite of passage”.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
Our Dreams
(a wedding prayer)
•
we place our dreams in our open palms
so the winds of fortune
will make them soar
we bless our dreams with the gift of song
so their chords are sweet
and their sound is pure
we bestow our dreams the wings of faith
so they lift and carry
to wisdom’s shore
we unite our dreams this blessed day
so love will bind them
forevermore
• • •
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
NaPoMo poem #19
This is the nineteenth 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 an older poem I’d written, but not completed to my satisfaction. Today’s prompt brought such deep feelings flooding into my heart, I was compelled to revisit the draft of this work and bring it to a fitting completion. I am very pleased with how it has turned out.
• NOTE: these poems will all essentially be early drafts, so edits may occur after their initial posting.
I Will Not Forget
(rappelé toujours)
•
days remembered of grace and lightness
when faith in truth sparked splendid dreams
those days of you
when all we touched was fresh and new
and the world was full of wonder
when we were certain we’d live forever
our strength made each day a great adventure
those carefree days
the days we witnessed one for the other
as we made vows to our chosen life mates
raised our children
grew our careers
our families close through these days of joy
but not these days
I’ve grown unyielding
rigidly braced
against the winds of time and fate
my soul is rooted in life’s demands
I search its blessings
curse its burdens
these brittle days
I am bent by the yoke of worry
heavy with the weight of loss
I am haunted by the ghost of memory
the lonely days when I think of you
these empty days
how can this void be filled
when one so vital has departed
this world was denied much wit and wisdom
kindness and love lost
when you passed
how can this void be filled
when one so rich in these is gone
one who understood the need for giving
in a careless world darkened by greed
a tender heart
truly unselfish
whose warm embrace included all
how can this void be filled
when a brilliant light has been snuffed out
I will not forget
I will remember you
and all those days
that’s how I will fill this void
with the seeds of friendship
you planted deep inside my heart
now filled with grief
may they grow to make me gentler
and me — the world a better place
good-bye my friend
ever will I tend these seeds
and think of you
I will not forget
• • •
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