Now’s Elusivity

~ To be read slowly, in rhythm with your breathing. ~


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

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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.

26 thoughts on “Now’s Elusivity”

  1. A lovely soaring wandering piece Rob that captures perfectly the seductively nature of the sometimes tangible, sometimes elusive nature of life’s journey, if travelled boldly. Terrific…

    1. Thank you do much Scott. 🙂 This journey through time happens over vast stretches — and all at once. A marvel to ponder, and even more wonderous — watching how people handle and observe this vapor of perception.

  2. Ai enjoyed your poem. “The path is I”. So, if there is not just fate and futile future, there is constitution, and will. Ai believe you awaken that understanding.

    1. Thank you Dwight. That song was written by Sandy Denny back in 1967 I believe. She only lived 31 years. I think she died like in 1987. She performed it with Fairport convention and she performed it as a solo as well. One of the most famous versions of it was done by Judy Collins back in the late 70s. The version I posted with my poem is also Judy Collins with Stephen Stills accompanying her on guitar every version of ever heard of “Who Knows Where the Time Goes” has been breathtaking. The most haunting version may will be the version Sandy Danny did with Fairport convention.
      https://youtu.be/OkOB57UcYk8?si=M0JOc2lmdFGtq5Qm

  3. I followed your instructions, Rob, and read slowly, in rhythm with my breathing – easy after listening to the lovely Sandy Denny. I love the shape and layout of your contemplative poem, and especially the (rhymed) lines:
    ‘the restless essence
    one cannot hold
    but in each moment
    one must behold’
    and
    ‘so I will ride
    the changing moon
    from December’s cold
    to the warmth of June’.

    1. Thank you so much Kim. Sandy’s is such s beautiful song that she wrote, and so hauntingly delivered. So sad she died a young mother at age 31. Her life had just begun. ;(

  4. It was wonderful to hear you read yesterday, Rob. Such an evocative poem. I never tire of musing about time.
    Who Knows Where the Time Goes is one of my all-time favorite songs, and I agree Sandy Denny’s version is the best–though I love them all.

    1. Sandy’s grasp and delivery of the essence of that amazing song she wrote is captivating. Thank you so much Merril, I appreciate your kind and gracious words my friend. I find “time” to be as fascinating and mysterious as “love”. In both cases, capturing them is very difficult. The only thing more difficult, is trying to understand or explain their elusive and mysterious nature. It is amazing how two individuals, standing side by side, if asked to describe and discuss time and love, would both likely have a different description of what they are, and would probably have a difficult time coming to full agreement in their discussion. However, if you dump a bucket of water on their heads, they both would know immediately what “wet” was… 😉

  5. Enjoyed this very much. It is something I talk of often with my dad neither of us are every truly able to give good reason why time seems to speed up the older we get, how some periods of time seemed slow and now it as if another Christmas bites the heels of the buds of May, and 5 7, even 10 years is gone in the blink of an eye. Sending you best wishes.

    1. Ah yes Alison, one of the major elusions of time. We find it so difficult to untie the overlaying knots between days, to just wholly experience a single well-formed day, to be hear now. I call that riding the strand continuum of time. What that does is tie all of your precious time together in one big knot — and what that fools the spirit into thinking that time is flying, it is getting away from us. time is not flying, it’s just cluttered to where it feels full and inseparable . It’ll drive you crazy if you can’t get off that strand continuum from time to time — the more times the better. Easy to say, damned hard to do, but very important to realize my friend. I’ve compare being in the drift of time, with swimming on a paddlr board in a large lake or river. You can put your head down and just swim-swim-swim… or you can stop occasionally, take a breath, float a bit, look around, get your bearings, enjoy what you see around you, and then swim again some more — repeating that pace as you go. You may even choose to change course. But you never have that opportunity if you don’t stop. Both approaches will get you to your particular boundary of time. But ask yourself, which might prove most enjoyable, and effective?

    1. Thank you Melissa. Goob on you my friend. The components of that piece I wrote were assembled with a very calm mind. They reveal themselves more fully when consumed with easy natural thought.

  6. The elusive now, why can’t we grasp the precious now? A mentor once told me time is ‘now’. Embrace it for it quickly becomes the past, which cannot be altered. But, through now we can choose how to move into tomorrow. I spend too much time in the past, wishing I could alter time but, sadly I cannot so the scars stay with me, slowly fading into tomorrow. Does that make sense? As a shamanic dreamer, I often time travel.

    I would love to hear you read. I tried to link up but had technical issues.

    Pleasant dreams my friend in whatever realm you choose to travel.

    1. Thank you True. Conceptually, I make the effort to always remain in the now, but I inevitably always seem to fail. I worry too much about the future, get caught up in the chaos of the present concerned with my CHF and cognitive clarity struggles — and the really big one now… my wife‘s throat cancer. I too frequently fret about the past, which is a waste of time, other than to learn from it. But my now, always seems so cluttered, gets heavy and confusing, and it gets away from me. I seldom seem to effectively grasp the now, but it’s quite invigorating and powerful when I do my friend… and I will constantly strive to “be here now”. Sounds so simple – but it is really really fucking hard to master. Always strive True, because grasping now effectively makes life so much smoother and delivers such wonderful results… “a clear mind”. At my age, and with my ailments, I see a neurologist in a constant pursuit of the power of cognitive clarity. It is now, and will continue to be, a constant striving for me.

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