This is a long-form, free verse poem, contemplating the post-apocalyptic ‘last person on earth’ theme, the “omega man” concept. This is a sobering take on the end of the world. It is also a love story, love lost that is.”
Fire Mark
I remember when it happened
remember well
the all-defining fire mark in time
that forever divided then from now
comfortably alone
walking up along the forested valley
that is our property line at the back
my eyes drifting up the azure waters
of the clear mountain stream
that rolled towards me crisp and pure
at the instant of the startling sound
the strange light
I cast my eyes to the very tops of the Douglas Firs
they stand proud at the river’s edge
sentries for centuries
protecting this northern boundary of our lands
steady and enduring
yet always supple in the winds that waft and quicken
whispering the breath of life
into this pristine realm
then came the second blinding flash
lighting the entire sky
tears glistened
the damned fools had finally done it
two years on now since that ominous event
but I never can forget the bone chill
that penetrating feeling
in those moments I knew
the cities were vaporized
I was isolated
alone
but how alone
too long now
since I have shared this vast beauty
with another’s eyes
with her eyes
with any eyes
or found my voice to exclaim its wonders
yet I still ramble the valley
wade the stream
given to an ever-rolling mumble
jabbering quietly to no one in particular
at the ragged edge of coherence
clinging to the chance
I might be rewarded with a response
her response
any response
but she had gone to the ciy
so only comes the murmur of the constant stream
carried on the season’s breezes
I have held my mind in good humor
bound by the glory of this land I wander
tethered to the waning hope
that she is not gone
that they all can’t possibly be gone
a hope buoyed by the majesty of these forests
that climb their way skyward
with the patience and persistence of the ages
but each day
a horrifying realization
grows in my mind
suffocating my soul
they are gone
every ~ last ~ one
gone
can I last
have I that patience
how long can I hold center
when comes my personal fire mark
my sunset
how long until my fragile psyche unravels
scrambling in lonely panic
seeking human contact
tonight I will sit alone again
in my room
in the soft light of the fire
the only light and warmth possible
since that fateful point in time
when the world’s infrastructure
collapsed
alone
month after month
in the smothering silence
in the maddening quiet
of this voiceless world
in which nowhere can be found
her eyes
any eyes
in which
never again will I hear
a simple
”hello”
~ ~ ~
rob kistner © 8/17/12
revised © 5/18/19
Hi! I’m Edgrrr, rob’s shih tzu.
Powerful, flowing, descriptive, a place in time I have also known well. Finding oneself totally alone in the world is eye-opening, earth-shaking, cataclysmic. In time it ends, it will.
Thanks Josie!
wow…lots going on here…great read…and will read once again…thanks for sharing Rob…happy trails
You are welcome Wayne.
Poignant and so very sad…
And maybe TOO real Tess…
When you have shared a meaningful relationship, being alone is just as you describe. The silence does feel smothering. Thank you for sharing, Rob. Very expressive, as always.
You are welcome Linda.
This piece can be open to individual interpretation; end of a relationship, loss of a loved one, personal alienation, etc… but my underlying focus was the fun of creating an enigmatic verse of science fiction, in the “last human on earth” category…
Ah, my god…empty rooms within and without. Powerful, this.
Thank yoy Irish.
i often walk in desolate places and feel i might be the last one alive..it doesn’t bother me and sometimes seems preferable to the reality. i enjoyed your piece today.
Totally understand your sentiment here Kay, I share your appreciation for solitude at times. I wonder however, what it would feel like to actually be the last human on earth…?
This is an awesome, immense write! This morning we cannot see Mt. Jefferson ~ always visible from my city ~ because of the forest fires.
Thank you very much Helen! 🙂
It’s been a few years, but like life I’ve cycled back and found your poetry blog once more. I think what caught my eye (in the beginning) was how visual your words were.
They are like the wind blowing through your journey here. For me, this poem captures loss. What kind of loss, I don’t know, but a loss none the same.
I love the imagery here, the Douglas Firs, the stream, you’ve got textures and colors, the flora and fauna of the poetic world going on.
Thank you for such a lovely and thought provoking read.
Thank you Missy, you are most kind!
Rob, this was an intense read, as usually the nature scenes speak to placid moments, communing with Mother Earth.
Your words of loneliness, so haunting. How you keep coming back not so much to “them” as to “her.” And the phrase that got me was “Sentries for centuries,” a beautiful nod to the trees that will stand as we all turn to dust. Amy
Thank you so much Amy, I am pleased this resonated for you!
Poignant and beautiful.
I am sharing this one with my husband, who is a lover of those sentries for centuries.
=)
Thank you Sue.
beautiful and sad….communing with nature but no other humans – I have known that place….emotional read…
Thank you 4joy!
A wonderful poem. That phrase, ‘fire mark’ is so evocative.
Thank you Rosemary!
Soulful piece, Rob. I believe so many of us who open our hearts on the page suffer the pain of loneliness.
Heartbreaking and truly felt.
Thank you Joe!
I couldn’t help thinking of the Pacific Northwest where I live and the pristine lakes, hiking trails, etc. where one often gets these wistful feelings…how small we are..at least that is my take …nice..
I meant to add how I can only imagine the loss of such a companion…the finality of it..
He has lost more than just his companion kkkkaty, he has lost everyone on earth — he is the last man alive on the planet, and dealing with it the best he can, taking solace in living nature;;;
an interesting thought….i love nature and would find my solace there as well given the situation but without human contact i wonder what you would lose….would you forget how to talk eventually…how would your heart respond….interesting ponderings sir…
This was what kept running through my thoughts as I wrote this Brian…
Oh goodness. The loneliness in this is so penetrating. Love the story-like quality of it as well. Beautiful writing.
Thank you Emily!
I’m glad you clarified your reason for writing this… got to wondering if your wife’s photo would soon be removed! Glad to know that is not the case.
“my fragile psyche unravels
scrambling in lonely panic” … I’m afraid that would happen to me very, very early on!
Purely science fiction Margaret… 🙂
Between the shock of losing his love and losing, well, the rest of the world too, no one would blame him if he went a little mad in the silence.
I don’t know how long I could keep it together Rommy… silence of my choice, cool – silence with no choice, don’t think I’d dig that!
This is incredibly poignant, Rob. I believe many of us who open our hearts on the page suffer the pain.. sigh .. thank you for adding your voice to the prompt 🙂
Thank you Sanaa, and you are welcome! 🙂
Our defining insult of Mother Nature is the flooding of the coastal land, cities, and property. Same for fires, we in Texas have even more than California’s but we don’t belly ache enough for good press coverage. Things are going to be beyond control of man in the future, next generations. We have just about wasted our opportunities.
Climate Change brought by Global Warming brought by human greed and thoughtlessness. Mainly by disobedience to God’s instructions to be Stewards of the Earth. We kicked back on that.
..
Perhaps we overstepped the Stewardship thinking it meant dominion. We ain’t clever enough, nor in balance enough to practice dominion – that’s why the earth suffers now.
…loss of a relationship, last person on earth, or I even could be tempted to think a fire in the forest and you miss what was… but the whole poem doesn’t support this. Well done and thanks for “resurrecting” it.
You are welcome Margaret. I have always been terrified of the “omega man” scenario. I would go insane…
OH, you certainly put things as they stand into their context through this desolation — it’s apocalyptic and also so very humane.
This captures the vulnerability so well: “how long until my fragile psyche unravels/scrambling in lonely panic/seeking human contact”.
Thank you Anmol, I appreciate your kind words! 🙂