Category: Poetry

Original digital surreal art: “The Machine of Time” by: rob kistner © 9/14/23

 
E ver accelerating
a spiral linearity

time

escaping into the future
tethered to the past

unfolding towards…
unreeling from…
…the elusive now

that eternal moment
moving forever away
yet always just behind
ever out of reach

the thing that — is
to then be — not

the restless essence
one cannot hold
but in each moment
one must behold

I have followed
this path of time
ever onward
as it’s led

been carried
on its tide

followed its rise
and its fall
in concentric circles
sweeping always outward

there is much I have seen
much I have experienced

much I’ve missed
lost
and left behind

much I’ve stumbled upon
stumbled over
always to collect myself
to quiet my mind

to follow on
the strand continuum
but to do so mindfully

Original digital surreal art: “Time’s Strand Continuum” by: rob kistner © 9/14/23

I’ve encountered the unknown
lost my way
and suffered sorrow

I have embraced the wonder
found enlightenment
a newborne tomorrow

I have understood
and known joy

losing confidence
I’ve acted coy

misunderstood
and known tears

been overwhelmed
and known fears

but ever on
this path does lead
and I
in measured step
must ever follow

pure time
unfolding
yet withholding

but — I know the mystery
I know the lie

I am not on
this path of time
the path is I

time resides
within my mind
perception’s gilded cage

it is herein
my truth of time
I’ll find

and as it slips away
its herein
I know the rage

so I will ride
the changing moon
from December’s cold
to the warmth of June

through time’s extremes
to seek the dreams
I embrace as mine

to ever seek
the elusive now
the held breath
in the folds of time

Original digital surreal art: “Portal of the Elusive Now”
by: rob kistner © 9/14/23

*
rob kistner © 9/14/23
Poetry at: dVerse

https://youtu.be/9rMdEDZULbc?si=k9AS6TF8kY0XNMUE

This final version of this gorgeous haunring song I offer, features Sandy Denny, the woman who wrote the song. Ironically, Sandy didn’t get much time. She died at age 31,
just as her career was beginning.

 
R eal
yes
I know this is real
and I know
I have been here
many times

I think

no
this is more than a thought
much more
I’m certain

yes
I have been here
my mind’s now clear
gone
the foggy curtain

this is a place I’ve been
and I am here again

it captivates me
tugging at me
drawing me in

this night
I cannot shake its pull
it fills my writer’s soul
to full

I know this place
known it all my life
foresaw this moment
would come in my time
this was my mystery to find
dreams of my youth were filled
with the recurring signs

but does this place
truly exist
or does it exist
only in my mind

do I know it
only as a memory
of a memory

or do I know it
as a memory
of a place

a place I have been

a place
whose red soil
I have trod

whose sun
so rich and golden
it could be spent
like money

a place whose air
wafts of cinnamon
and honey

whose slick shale mountains
cut dramatic silhouettes
into the alien sky

whose ground cover
the leaves of which
are the sweet taste
of finest licorice

and the berries
are as sweet
and as tart
as the ripest pomegranate

this is
a most wondrous planet

Original digital surreal art: “ Pájaröné Mating Birds”
by: rob kistner © 9/12/23

a place
whose beautiful black birds
accented crimson and sable
are known as Pájaröné

they fly in pairs
never alone

when in flight
they bell gently
blending as one

not unlike the call
of the white-tailed deer
of my enchanted Oregon

”gentle bird on the wing
it’s to my very heart you sing
it’s to my captive soul you call
my very essence you enthrall”

I swoon in reverie
when I hear the Pájaröné

oh this place
whose crystal waters
effervesce
in cordovan river beds

whose sparsely limbed
ebony trees
the Nêra’elbéro
shimmer coralesque

Original digital surreal art: “Nêra’elbéro Tree”
by: rob kistner © 9/12/23

the bark of which
tears easily away
to expose sweet under-bark

breadlike
delicately delicious
remarkably nutritious

also
heavy laden
nut bushes abound

ripened nuts fall
cluttering the ground

everywhere edibles
can be found

ever surprising
this exotic place

a place of contrasts
and contradictions

a place which
at first glance
seems almost baron
even hostile
but its eerie magic
does soon beguile

it stirs my soul
accelerates my heartbeat
fascinates my mind

it can spark my apprehension
and demands my utmost attention
to survive

a place quite harsh
so bizarrely otherworld-like
so unsettlingly foreign
that it’s magnificently strange
breathtakingly beautiful

a place from which
you cannot look away
whose extreme environment
presents a challenge everyday

still
you do not want to leave

yet here I am
back on Gaia Neuvo
new mother earth
with no useful recall
of when
nor how I returned

Original digital surreal art: “Space Orbs Return to Gaia Neuvo”
by: rob kistner © 9/12/23

but it feels
so much I’ve learned

is this just a memory
of a memory
a fantastical fictional creation
of my mind

or an amazing journey
prophetically foretold
in the dreams
of a clairvoyant 12-year-old

dreams of this place
called Beaurêvé

or is it in fact
not just a dream
but rather
a vivid memory of a place

a place
I realize I have been

and in my soul
so much
want to go again

to once more
marvel at the amazing
to seek wild adventure
embracing the vast unknown
trekking its landscape
wonderfully alone
awestruck
by the unbelievable

a phantasmagoric odyssey
that may be
for me
quite possibly
achievable

afterall — I am a writer

Original digital surreal art: “LaTieke the Celestial Poet”
by: rob kistner © 9/12/23

*
rob kistner © 9/12/23
Poetry at: dVerse

Original digital surreal art: “Comin’ 4 Ya” by: rob kistner © 9/7/23

is free will a verified conclusion
or simply a wishful illusion
can madness truly be deterred
as reality becomes irreversibly blurred
do you believe we truly can
ever escape from where we began

*
rob kistner © 9/7/23
Poetry at: dVerse

 
My footfalls
drum the root chambers
of the old growth
each step
cushioned by centuries of needle-drop
in this ancient forest

enjoying the rise and fall
twist and turn of the trail
I amble dreamlike

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

as I pause cross-legged
here
on the smooth river rock
a breeze enfolds me
filled with the intoxicating scent
of living eartho

Original digital art: “Shinrin Yoku — Forest Bathing”
by: rob kistner © 9/6/23

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
the bliss

Shinrin Yoku

suddenly
I’m startled from my reverie
to my feet

a young doe
bounds onto the trail ahead
stands proud
pauses in the golden light

Original digital surreal art: “Whitetail Wanderer”
by: rob kistner © 9/6/23
.
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 a glimpse of silver-blue
reflecting resplendent
where massive tree trunks part

this is the reason for my trek
into this mighty wilderness

I step through the opening
and climb a huge boulder

I sit
pull my legs under me
and lean forward
arms folded
elbows on knees
basking in the energy

just below me
an enchanting tangle of driftwood
floats sculpture-like
unmoving

across the magical mirrored lake
rising spectacular
a chiseled mountain peak
coppered
in the evening sun

I grow very still
listen
gaze

rapt

I become this moment
in touch with my soul
with the eternal

transcendent

alone
in this pristine
old growth paradise

Original digital surreal art: “Mighty Ancient”
by: rob kistner © 9/6/23

*
rob kistner © 8/23/23
Poetry at: dVerse

https://youtu.be/02CXKnftM-4?si=EQS5YHo0qg3H_NuT

https://youtu.be/XkKWWvUQroo?si=zFWw9rDI-kGsv6Pl

 
I seek solace from my sorrow
I pray for each tomorrow
the nights are full of fears
I am adrift upon my tears

moonlight’s a chilling sliver
piercing deep my tearful shiver
shaken by uncertainties in my mind
peace seems so impossible to find

*
rob kistner © 9/4/23
Poetry at: dVerse

Original digital surreal art: “Love On the Vine” by: rob kistner © 8/31/23

 
Quietly
in this golden gloaming
enwrapped in a freshening chill
of dimming twilight
bountiful september
tumbles towards the equinox
a sacred period of change

Pacific Northwest Autumn

the holding warmth of sunlight
invigorates the coming bounty

a joyful time of anticipation
nature awaiting the change

the promised recovery and renewal
when the hand of rebirth
will sweep across the valleys
and up the mountain sides

but not just yet

flowering plants
are dropping petals

grasses gone late-summer golden
anticipate the approaching
nurturing rains of winter

mighty evergreens pause
deciduous trees burst forth
in equinoctial splendor

soon leaves will shed
all go dormant to rest

vast Northwest forests
enter a period of rejuvenation

it’s this realm in full glory

lush vineyards and berry thickets
roam the fertile rolling hills
heavy with grape and berry
ready for the bountiful harvest

Original digital surreal art: “Bounty’s Manor”
by: rob kistner © 8/31/23

wine country comes alive

apples, peaches and pears
hang full and heavy
laden with the final fruits
of seasonal plenty

orchard picking begins

wild nature exhales deeply
in this final moment
of deep calm

soon
the bustle and flux
of engorged autumn

water levels
having dropped considerably
river and stream
feel new life

autumn rains
replenish
flow and current

enlivened salmon
in autumnal runs upstream
begin their spawn

the cycle of life turns

trout and other species
revivified
as waters rise and cool

bear-deer-cougar-elk-coyote
pronghorn antelope-big horn sheep
eagle-hawk-and-osprey

the region’s plentiful wildlife
begin preparations for change

unique pre-winter rituals

warm september relaxes
preparing the step-through

autumn’s portal

this realm
begins to cool
slowly nudged
towards winter’s peace

regenerative calm
soon will lay
upon this lush land

season of sky-waters
soon arrives
quenching nature’s thirst
rejuvenating her energies
regathering strength

soon
all-consuming quiet
absolute stillness

from this deep silence
an imperceptible murmur
a breathless whisper
a hushed prayer

gratitude
for the harvest’s bounty
and a humble petition

return the light
bring blessings
fruitful new life
to this soon quiet land
at rest in time’s hand

Original digital surreal art: “Master’s Hands”
by: rob kistner © 8/31/23

S ummer takes its leave
autumn steps boldly forward
September watches

*
rob kistner © 8/23/23
Poetry at: dVerse

Original digital surreal art: “Moon Mountain” by: rob kistner © 8/28/23

Original digital surreal art: “Perfect Fit”
by: rob kistner © 8/28/23

*
rob kistner © 8/23/23
Poetry at: dVerse

Original digital surreal art: “Crashing Time”
by: rob kistner © 8/22/23
 

Tonight
with careful hands
we will peel back
cracked and yellowed glassine
from faded aging pages

pages too often ignored
— our photo album
the chronicle of our love

tonight
my wife
you and I
are smashing the clock

we’re opening time’s window

liberating sweet memory
of our shared history
revisiting the magic
and the mystery

the captivating life moments
fondly remembered places
endearing loved ones
the true treasures
that the heart embraces

tangibly immortalized

let it be a symbol
of our enduring strength

of our courage
fully realized

we’ll squelch our fears
with quiet conversation
soft smiles
and gentle tears

some of joy
some bittersweet
some also sad

embracing it all
the good fortune
the wonderful times we had

faces and places
from another time
will reach out
touch our hearts

yes — life’s had its bumps
but also its beauty

it’s triumphs
and too — its tragedy

thirty six years
of us and ours

precious

unforgettable

captured
on these pages
in these folds of time
our time

also captured
though unseen

our deeply held hopes
for the future
our dreams

but tonight
my lover
we shatter
our temporal bounds
our physical limitations

let us soar
on wings of love

let our memories
be our invitations
to rise above
the weight of worry
make this moment — timeless
let us not hurry

through time and space
we will wind
traversing corridors
of heart and mind

alone
here
together

you and I

through time’s open window
this night
we fly

Original digital surreal art: “Through Time’s Window”
by: rob kistner © 8/22/23

*
rob kistner © 8/23/23
Poetry at: dVerse

My valley life
was not kind to me
I needed to be free
…bottled up my sorrow
changed my destiny

so I came the river’s way
to find a better day
to set root and see
was this a home for me

so I put seed to field
hoping that it would yield
it took root reluctantly
with no abundancy

the river quenched
tilled earthen thirst
promise reigned true
…at first
but time did not deliver
the promise of the river

now chill wind
‘cross the water blows
not every blossom grows
I bottle heart ache now
because this truth it knows
regret is the seed
that sorrow sows

— and yes
ever the river flows

Original digital surrealistic art:
“River of Regret”
by: rob kistner © 8/22/23

*
rob kistner © 8/17/23
Poetry at: dVerse

M y hand gripped tight the pine tar
gonna drive this baby far

as the pitch wound to deliver
I felt muscle and sinew shiver

I swung a mighty swing
felt that subtle sting

crack!

the ball rocketed to flight
cleared the fence
— outta sight!

*
rob kistner © 8/17/23
Poetry at: dVerse

I’d like to make myself believe
the young man’s dream I dreamt
to change the world’s heart
to one of love for one another

I’d like to make myself believe
people are by nature good
that we can live in peace
making the world a better place

I’d like to make myself believe
universal understanding
is a common goal
for this planet’s people

I’d like to make myself believe
we’ve not lost our faith
in the sacrosanct ideals
of an elevated life

I’d like to make myself believe
tomorrow can be a new day
but tomorrow finally comes
and it’s the same old day

I’d like to make myself believe
but empty runs the hourglass
and I’ve heard the daily news
once more — it broke my heart

yes, I’d like to make myself believe
I’d like to, really believe it
but sometimes I really wonder
if such hope — is simply bullshit

sure, technology is exploding
driven by a worldwide race
I refer to progress of the human
tech and gadgets don’t wear my face

why do the gears of this progress
seem so very mired in place
as if time itself has broken
human progress has lost its pace

surely there must remain
at least a few grains
in the hourglass
of possibility

but where’s the steady hand
of truth and wisdom
to reach and turn it
to make it be

Original digital surrealistic art:
“Broken Time”
by: rob kistner © 8/17/23

*
rob kistner © 8/17/23
Poetry at: dVerse

My love
we have both moved forward
into a definitive time
of critical personal transition

all we humans know
and perhaps
grudgingly accept
that we will
as it’s been said
perish from this earth

in our early lives
that hangs in the air
conceptually

it is not definitive

we need not move it
to the top of our
what’s next list
and certainly
not to top of the list
“when”

but for you and I
lover
that “what’s next” list
has a top
the “what” topper

for me
that topper is CHF
congestive heart failure

for me
it is the leading contender
for “what takes Rob out”

the “when” is still
not in black and white
but a dark grey — soon
is the odds on favorite
to top the “when” list

for you, dear Kathy
it is most possibly
your throat cancer
that tops your “what” list

though I have joined with you
in an ongoing battle
to forestal your “when”

make no mistake
we’re both on a fast moving
transition track
on a timetable of totality
and the clock is ticking
loudly

we both stand
fully in grasp
of this reality

of our transitions

we accept the challenge
in both our cases
and we fight on

to infinity
and beyond
to a timeless place
beyond the bounds
of temporal space

I want to applaud you
my bright star
for your courage
in this most difficult time
of our dual transitions

I want you to know
precisely — that

your courage
know wholly that

know that —
in your soul
my lover
my warrior

I am proud of who you are
and honored by your love

also
I want you to know
to feel

please hear
beyond just these words
because my deepest love
is in here — calling

I pray I can hold on
to the wonder of you
my love
for a lifetime longer

however long that may prove to be

please know
my beautiful warrior
that I have
that I do
and that I will forever
beyond the stars
love you
with all my heart

with all the essence
of my being

THANK YOU!

Original digital realistic art:
“Have You Seen The Stars Tonight”
by: rob kistner © 8/15/23

*
rob kistner © 7/24/23
Poetry at: dVerse

This one is just for you, my love…

 
A gorgeous live performance of “A Scarcity of Miracles” by King Crimson.

Whose lips in rain stir joy anew?
…kissing you
will footsteps in raindrops start hearts talking?
…storm walking
is pure fallen rain soulfully invigorating?
…stimulating

no time for procrastinating
we are here face to face
wrapped in the storm’s embrace
kissing you after storm walking, so stimulating

Original digital realistic art:
“Love Storm” by: rob kistner © 8/10/23

*
rob kistner © 7/24/23
Poetry at: dVerse