Original digital surreal art: “Dual Suns” by: rob kistner © 11/26/24
The dual suns
still above the horizon
warm me as I journey
casting the strange landscape
into stark vivid presence
planet Terrius
its orange suns
and black sky
make this alien world
startling
yet fascinating
I embarked at solar midday
senses alive and alert
consumed by the thrill of exploration
heady with anticipation of discovery
reports of Terrians
I believed today I would make contact
I would connect
but it is day’s end
the suns are setting
darkness spreads
over this severe terrain
void of color
early shadows fall across my face
a veiled foreboding settles upon me
there are many shadows here
other shadows
odd shadows
unfamiliar
disturbing specters
that disrupt my nights
disquiet my soul
steal my peace
they come unannounced
almost imperceptible
but no time for worry
there is still far to go
I am eager to move
drawn by the need
to reach my ship
to reach safety
yet here I stand
momentarily motionless
immobile with uncertainty
yet captivated
captivated by the haunting beauty
that is this planet’s rising moon
Astarus
not unlike earth’s
but more harsh
Original digital surreal art: “Astarus — Terrian Moon”
by: rob kistner © 11/26/24
a steel blue glow
with an amber aura
mesmerizing
hypnotizing
I shudder and sober
turn into the evening winds
and venture onward
across this foreign world
again the shadows shift
dull confusion finds me
I lose my pace
draw up in momentary halt
nagging concern engulfs me
panic pierces my solace
bewilderment grips me
unwelcome
it holds me
uncomfortable in my skin
these feelings sweep over me
clouding briefly my purpose
obscuring my destination
finally they waft
across the darkening valley
lies my shuttle craft
my safety
urgently I proceed
but again my mind fogs
I wander
and once more lose focus
an eerie mist
settles like a shroud
every night
there is a moonset
pitch black is coming
coming much too quickly
pitch black is lethal
save for my heated suit
the frightening night noises
unsettling dreams
squander my sleep
I am exhausted
suddenly
an alarm startles
my suit’s battery pack
has failed
my helmet beam
now inoperable
communications dead
suit heater disrupted
cut off
alone
I am in dire trouble
a sense of peril gnaws
builds
paralyzing fear
I have lost all light
oxygen tanks nearly spent
my suit temperature dropping
I fear I’ll loose my way
I will not make it back
before pitch black
consumes me
takes me
alone
here
so far from earth
so far from home
so far
from you
so far
*
rob kistner © 2024
Poetry at: dVerse