DIGITAL ART — “Folding Time” by: rob kistner © 2007
W e cannot hide
from the great orb
of unquestioning fate
that spins in the spaces
of destiny’s light and dark
we cannot avoid
the days of falter and fear
held in this approaching void
that moves unsteady
in the fog
of unquenchable doubt
this
your mind must conceal
in a spirit of forgiveness
and joy
for that which is pure
tested by time
and the wanting hands
of the waiting
who cower
yet smile
singing truth
through the hail and barrage
‘cross the bow mast
of freedom
they
who seek broad measure
and fair berth
as all that you dream and desire
seems slipping slowly away
like rain through a downspout
and nightmares plumb deep
the sea of black dreams
as the fragile sphere of possibility
is gripped in the freeze of time
compressed and cracked
this slag-shattered
glass of the future
moves frail and slowly
through the arc of the ages
who’ve waited and watched
at the waning of truth
‘neath the brittled moon
of deliberated ancients
this fractured orb
that revolves in the void
of the others not hearing
what we knew to be
the plaintive cries
of the lost
blind to the light of the dawning
that heralds the new word
of this time that’s upon us
of this critical time
I am the bud and the blossom
I am the late-falling leaf
I am the arc fulfilled
I am the time come
of the here
and the now
where we’re held
firm in the fire
of visions and longing
for what we were
and for all that we are to be
here in our heart
of this moment eternal
even as
we gaze forlornly
across pooled hatred
‘tween a diseased curtain’s fall
at a fractured mirror’s reflection
of a waking nightmare
a glaring hallucination
a pulsing passion play
of a polarized reality
dual worlds
close enough to touch
but too far apart to engage
through which truth
stumbles blind
beyond reach
or reason
or connection with either
we walk as wraiths
through fevered empty streets
moving in these worlds
captive to the bone-white lies of both
implicit in their toxic grins
of inflexible conformity
lethal tradition
revered in mindless trance
change
shackled to the stone of fear
with a grip rough as rope
change
bound at the shadowed edge
of dark and light
plague and cure
repression and justice
ignorance and knowledge
change
bruised
disillusioned
but possible
yet still seeking to flee
like a squandered teardrop
forever away from
our failing grasp
but hold fast
beckon the dawn
summon the morn
there is far to go
and much to learn
rising from this dark night
someone needs first
release the light
hold fast
perhaps torchbearers emerge
*
original publication: rob kistner © 02/18/21
revised publication © 04/07/23
Poetry at: dVerse
NOTE: This is the final edit of the complete work, written on my 74th birthday, that inspired both my “Dual Worlds” piece. and my “Hold Fast” piece.
Wow, Rob. This is spectacular.
Thank you Linda! This is a file dump of my overview of the human situation, strongly influenced by 2020.
This is an epic poem… I feel like we are walking through forests of lies and darkness some call the light. We must hope for something better.
I choose to embrace that we are heading to a better place Bjorn. Like the Bestles sing. “I’ve got to admit it’s getting better (better) A little better all the time (it can’t get no worse) 🙂
Powerful ending, Rob. I like how your poem rotates centrally like an orb and calls for us to keep our lights burning. The shackled to fear makes me think of Plato’s cave and alludes to the fact that the things that bind us are not real. Enjoyed your hopeful message. Thanks for sharing.
You are very welcome K. Reality is such a relative term, seen a little differently by all who look. The key to living real is, I believe, to keep your focus — and flexibly embrace change. It has been said before, but the only constant, is change.
I really appreciate your rallying cry to hope here, Rob. For some reason, I think the past year decided to get to me today. This was great to read. My favourite stanza was this:
this fractured orb
that revolves in the void
of the others not hearing
what we knew to be
the plaintive cries
of the lost
I am glad this resonated for you Ingrid. This all finally spilled out last month on my 74th b’day.
One word. WOW!! This is exquisitely drawn, Rob 🙂 I especially like; “this fractured orb that revolves in the void
of the others not hearing what we knew to be the plaintive cries of the lost.”
Thank you Sanaa. All of this has been rolling through my head during the abysmal pergormance of the human race in 2020. I needed to vent it or I was going to fall into a caustic depression. It can out in basically a stream of consciousness the night of my 74th birthday. It birthed two other of my recent poems. I polished it with a bit of editing before posting it here.
I agree, this is indeed an epic poem. Rob, and one that made me shudder, reading of the ‘days of falter and fear’ and ‘unquenchable doubt’. It does seem as if all that we dream and desire is ‘slipping slowly away like rain through a downspout’. The repetition of ‘fractured orb that revolves in the void’ is a reminder that that is exactly what we are on, that seasons come and go. Great use of alliteration too.
Thank you Kim! That one has been building all during 2020.
Epic is right. This appears to be an expanded version of the original post, or am I just imaging that. Either way, quite enjoyable.
It is the final edit of the entirety of the original draft I wrote on my 74th b’day Feb18th Ron. I posted varied parts of it as two recent poems: “Dual Worlds” and “ Hold Fast” — but this is the polished complete work.
You grasp the time with a wide and deep eye, friend. Such witness we all need.
Thank you Brendan. I am not a moralist, not religious, not above any of this I expressed. I trifle withe concept of love and romance to keep my soul light. But I am someone cursed with a mind that is constantly seeing and analyzing the balance and the imbalance of human life. Sometimes I need to vent to prevent myself from falling deeper into the madness that is such a part of life on earth.
An epic work indeed, RK. It’s clear you’ve simmered it a while, and now it’s about as tasty as can be, given the circumstances. I’ve been experiencing a little bit of “down the drain” my self lately, but I could never express it quite so globally (and expertly) as you have done here. Mind-blowing work.
Thank you Ron, I always look for, and deeply respect your voice. Thsnk you sincerely, from a man hanging on to the tattered fringes of his blown mind.
OMG, Rob you tore the scab off of 2020, did an autopsy of the innards, and began raising it from its death tomb. I’ve been out for over a week, missing 5 prompts, so I didn’t read the precursor pieces. This saga, this ode is as epic as Plato, as existential as Snyder, and as hard-hitting as Bukowski; pure art and heart, sir. I liked “this slag-shattered glass of the future moves frail and slowly through the arc of the ages” and “I am the bud and the blossom. I am the late falling leaf” (pure Whitman).
Thank you Glenn! I have noticed your absence. It was great to see that you posted today. Hope all is well with you and yours my friend. Wish I had a way to message you should I notice you missing again. Going on two decades as “brothers in verse”. My heart is too frail to weather any sudden sorrow concerning you bro! Love ya dude…
Luv your digital art. Today’s poem is definitely my favourite of yours. I could get the music, it said video unavailable
Happy Thursday
Much????love
Thank you Gillena… 🙂
So much great wisdom in this, Rob, about so many things. You walk the reader through it all and then offer light, the saving grace <3
As hopelessly ignorant and fucked up as I firmly believe many many people are Lisa — I also know that many people are, at their core, good people, even if they are confused sbd struggling like me. Those people I hope find their center, to stand firm. I will always share my voice to help them if I am able, just as I will be an advocate for our natural world.
So powerful, Rob. I can see it flows from the past year (and life)–that fractured orb, but still producing light–and the hope at the end.
I also like your art–folding time but amidst color and light. There’s a stained glass feel to it, too.
Thank you Merril, very much. I sm pleased this impacted you. I used to create, print, frame, and sell giclées of my digitally manipulated photographs and renderings. This was created from a photograph.
I appreciated the honest emotion in your verses with the call to the torchbearers at the end. So much to dissect in here, but I liked “this slag-shattered glass of the future moves frail and slowly through the arc of the ages.” It made me look back at your image of “folding time.” It feels like a roller coaster to us and I’m sure it has for much of humanity through the ages. Just all different challenges for different times. Somehow we make it through. And the writers document it! ?
Thank you Tricia! While time moves onward, and things “change”, in the big picture, it seems to circle back upon itself, with humanity in a continuing challenge with its own tendencies toward greed, prejudice, hatred, and conflict. The more things change, the more they remain the same. Time folding in upon itself like a puzzle, that we simply can’t solve — or certainly haven’t yet. Our solutions spirally upward, just as our problems become more and more complex. — but we are always chasing. Will someday the complexity simply overwhelm us into extinction? I dunno? Hope not…
I sit here humbled by your wisdom, Rob.
<3
David
David, thank you. I am just expressing what I am observing, and have been in my 74 years. We seem to be fragmenting as a species. More and more tech capability, but showing apparent growing impact on the planet, ecologically and economically. And we as a species, seeming very slow to acknowledge it, much less to effectively address it. Some have chosen to ignore, even deny it as a leverage of control and wealth accumulation. And socioeconomically, the divide on the planet grows wider and wider, as food, water, medicine, and aforementioned technology, along with the networks to move goods and information around the world — seems to be densely concentrating to a smaller collection of wealthier and wealthier, more powerful conglomerates. They also seem to embrace less and less integrity and credibility. I see that as a potential formula for the top heavy collapse of the world’s society, possibly the planet itself. I fear a dramatic culling and cleansing, orchestrated by the natural world itself, may be closer at hand than we realize. ~~ But what do I know, I am just one old man.
Things have not changed much and your great poem tells it like it is, Rob! One will only feel the pinch or even horror if one contributes to the ever-growing numbers of unemployed. Pity the youngsters of today.
Hank
I hear you Hank. You can read shat I just wrote to David. I have great concern regarding the world that my 7-year-old grandson will inherit. Every generation has concern, but we have never had quite the ability as a species to do harm — and do it quickly and thoroughly. Anyone not concerned either isn’t looking, or just do not care, based on their agenda. Our planet and our human society has never been quite as stressed before in history. Strange years ahead. The older and sicklier I am becoming, the more the frail man man within me is glad I won’t have to experience fully what lies ahead. The biggest of the governments on this planet are showing signs of loss of control and direction. Guess that is perhaps my chicken little thread complaining the sky is falling. I do hope that’s sll it is.
Rob this is wonderful, I will hold fast thank you for being a torch bearer.
Thank you Laura! Please do join the “Torch Crew”… 🙂
Rob,
A powerful offering of reflection.
This part especially spoke to me,
“I am the bud and the blossom
I am the late-falling leaf
I am the arc fulfilled
of the here
and the now”
Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you Alicia (Ali) — glad this resonated for you… 🙂
Reading your comments here, I must say the scale of this is fitting for the circumstances in this country and globally. Well done, Rob.
Thank you Ken. This piece speaks to what I have observed, and still observe daily, from my perspective in my life — and my reactions to it. How accurate it is, how valid — it’s as valid as I am able to see and comprehend it.
What a great reflective piece of contemplation and powerfully personal feelings expressed in exquisite form and wonderful images.
Very well done Rob.
Thank you Dwight! I have been struggling with arthritis so I haven’t gotten to listen to your disc because I want to be able to use paper and pencil yo make notes. I am speaking these comments using Ciri.