Tag: memories

The Shine

 

 

The Shine

•

I sit

watch the flow of people

the shuffle of feet
with their different sounds
according to their shoes

I see wan faces
of unsmiling lips
their void curves denounce this night

yet unseen
is the gossamer curtain’s fall
that defines their soul’s duality

the divergent reality
through which truth stumbles blind
to move in the world
rough as a rope
taut as every promise made

frayed as wisdom
leaned in
whispered from behind

grab at time like dropped money

I might learn something tonight
if someone will release the light
so I can shine like a child
who likes ice cream most of all

this child reads old men’s minds
and notices the shoes
the belts all made of leather

I feel a shiver
of sad imbalance
a confliction in my soul

so I will watch the shoes
and practice non-attachment
because I can

but pieces of me
stick to whoever gets too close

you may have seen me
silhouetted against the sky
the coldest night in January
howling with the frozen moon

then moon and I sneak
through fate’s construct
among cages of studs & trusses
we run

from room to imaginary room
the whole world close enough to touch

we eat a midnight lunch
of damaged bread
seasoned by caution
and foreign lands
with onioned thoughts
layered deep

show mercy
peel back the layers

peel me away
thin by thin
skin by skin
to my quivering soul

I hope I am not ugly in your sight

these thoughts
become too heavy to hold
to tough to chew or swallow

my thoughts

bone-white lies of morality plays
open for you to peek

hope they are not ugly in your sight

hope they do not make you weep
as you peel back all the layers

onioned
thought
layers

held fast and firm
like a carapace
to which I’m stitched and welded
and can no more leave
than you can truly enter

they tie me down
sometimes
but sometimes barely so

inescapable optimism
in my barebones grin
flashes in the brittle moonlight

a stranger comes to where I sit
to see

his stare
blinds the stars from my eyes

behind his fey smile
his radar dreams
scan the forgotten creases
and clandestine getaways
in my mind

standing over
he peers down
with probing gaze

one of us will learn
a thing or two this night

• • •

rob kistner © 2009

 

___________________________________

…photorendering entitled “Cornered” by: rob kistner © 2008

 

Sunrise Requiem

…this poem was inspired by two wonderful lines of refrain provided by Michelle McGrane…

 

 

Sunrise Requiem

•

the afterimage has yet to dim
emblazoned in my mind
the sun fresh on the horizon
my eyes follow your graceful silhouette
moving away from me
the taste of you sweet on my lips

if you are lucky
you will carry one night with you

my gaze held fast
until there was nothing
just the rising sun
the cruel sun
that disrupted our tender night
with the promise of another
but no warning
how very dark and deep

if you are lucky
you will carry one night with you

no warning of the bitter cold
that would set upon my world
no warning that this sunrise
would burn into my heart
our final sunrise
the taste of you sweet on my lips

if you are lucky
you will carry one night with you

• • •

rob kistner © 2009

 

…wonderful poems found at “readwritepoem”

 

Seasons of Love

 

 

Seasons of Love

•

I take you in a park in May
in the cool Spring breeze at the end of day
on the silvered beach of a white-capped bay
at the mouth of a moonlit waterway

I take you in a tree-filled park
on a matt of fallen aspen bark
to the Summer song of a meadow lark
on a sunny day until the dark

I take you by the garden wall
in the dappled shade of a willow tall
on the scattered down of its leafy sprawl
on a crisp, and heady day in Fall

I take you by the oaken mill
‘neath an autumn tree on a grassy hill
I will take you in the early chill
when our Winter comes — I will take you still

• • •

rob kistner © 2009

 

…wonderful poems found at “readwritepoem”

 

Ghost of Love

 

Ghost of Love

•

(In loving memory of my son, Aaron Robert Kistner)

in the tears of this turbulent night
you come
as a breeze
stirring through my open window

a plaintive zephyr
yet sweet

you come
as a faint sound in the darkness

an easy laugh
rich voice

a song

you come
as a comforting thought

kindness
strength

a gentle way

you come
as a remembered presence

warm smile
clear eyes

peaceful eyes
full of wonder

the beauty of youth

you come
as a moment recalled

that precious last time
we stood embracing

this night
you come as a ghost of love
a specter of my longing heart

• • •

rob kistner © 2009

 

The Gig

 

…a musician’s tale told in multi-era players’ lingo…

 

The Gig

•

man we was cookin’
we maxed the zone
the gig
was flamin’ righteous

I was on my chops
hammered primo riffs
my fender
was really smokin’

our upright dude
laid down cool bottom
his big axe
thumped with thunder

the scene was jake
we was jammin’ smooth
our stick man
rocked his traps

we kicked our tunes
brought down the house
the night
was true far out

the leg were fox
freak, we were stoked
to my pad
we all were trukin’

but first château blanc
to down some slyders
sweet midnight
belly bombs

next the pony keg
to cop some kingers
to set
a mellow buzz

then down the rabbit hole
full blown away
to wrap
this trip pure golden

• • •

rob kistner © 2009

 

…following is the English interpretation

The Performance

we were playing quite good
one of our best performances ever

I personally was playing my guitar exceptionally well
technically and creatively

our bass guitar player was playing deep and strong

everybody present was having a great time
our drummer was playing his very best

every song sounded very good
the crowd reacted with tremendous applause

the women in attendance were beautiful
we all were able to secure dates and were going to my house

but first we went to White Castleâ„¢ restaurant
(a hamburger chain found throughout Midwestern USA)
for some hamburgers

then we stopped at a convenience store
to purchase some Schoenling Little Kings Cream Ale
(beer that comes in short 7oz. green bottles)

and had a wildly exciting party
that lasted until sunrise

 

• • •

…poem inspired by read write poem #61, found at “readwritepoem”

 

Winter Tales (Midnight Snowfall / Winter / December Memories)

…here are three winter tales of beauty and love

Midnight Snowfall

____

in moonlit forest

midnight’s snowfall shimmers
through the boughs
of old growth

deep and still

as if spread by star clusters

it blankets
our high-mountain meadow
in crystal down

this night
fell quiet and crisp

a great white owl
echoes
through frosted cedar

lover and beloved

we entwine
‘neath winter’s window

with dreams
and one another

we sleep

in gentle slumber
we traverse
time
and space

adrift
in random wonder

we breathe
the ebb and flow
of nocturne

but I’ve awakened
in a winter
long ago

you
by firelight

warm and soft
in my arms

the night
that first we kissed

____

rob kistner © 2008

____________________________

Winter

(haiku)

____

coarse lands cloaked in white

lakes bejeweled in crystal

winter’s dressing hand

____

rob kistner © 2008

____________________________

December Memories

____

cold cheeks pressed in soft embrace
nestled warm in sweater’s plush
full hearts brim in fond delight
drawn close in loving gather

room awash in gentle glow
heady scent of fresh-cut noble
standing tall this winter night
resplendent in its cloak of yule

tender lilt of celtic song
sweet fragrances of promised treats
the pleasing snap of kindled log
spirits soothed by season’s hearth

ribbon’d papers flash multi-hues
gifts bestowed one at a time
each in turn a treasured moment
joyous laughter shared by all

round and round the kindred circle
we celebrate unveiled affection
nurtured by each act of love
precious times with family

____

rob kistner © 2008

IMG_8595

____________________________

photo at top entitled: “Moonlit Snow”

collage above: “Winter Night Journey”

Remembered

 

 

Remembered

•

leaning comfortably
into the curves

wind whipping
through our long hair

we wind our way
into the mountains

into the evening

alive
with 2-wheeled freedom

on the open road

not counting days
not keeping track
just being – free

we glide

feet up
knees tucked

captivated
by the thrill
of the throttle

we rocket

dive from light to shadow
to resurface once more
in the light

again and again

as the sun reveals itself
from time to time

warming us
from between peaks

as it begins to settle
behind the western slope
of the Rockies

four friends

four adventurers

fresh on the heels
of the summer of love

dedicated
to a critical mission

spread the peace
share the love
save our sanity

and above all else
keep the party rolling

we’ve thrown off
the structured mantle of life

to venture
into the random

the unknown

to embrace
the magnificent perfection
of living in
and for
the moment

•

it’s nearly four decades
since those days of freedom

memories have cooled
grown hazy

I take license in their recall
grateful they remain at all

I’m blessed by their refrain
no matter how faint

my days are not so light now

I’m rooted in responsibility

balancing the blessings
and the burdens
of life

sometimes bent
by the yoke of worry

made heavy
by the weight of loss

yet
occasionally

I still feel
the gentle breeze of freedom
stir

as I stand
feet firmly planted

braced against
the changing winds of time
and fate

tonight

adrift in the eternal now
awash in recollection

I smile within
warmed by remembered times
with beloved friends

those days of wonder

falling deeper in reverie’s embrace
I can almost feel that wind
on my face

tossing once more
my youthful mane

almost hear the laughter

see the glow
on the faces of three friends

now far away

I whisper a promise
to my awakened spirit

someday

before it is too late

I will again
pick my feet up

• • •

rob kistner © 2008

 

Sacred

A hike into the Cascade Mountains, in image and verse.

Author’s note: It was a beautiful day for hiking here in Oregon, so I made a trek into the Mt. Hood wilderness — camera in hand, notebook and pen in my shirt pocket. This is my day, shared with you here, in image and verse. The photo is a shot of Lost Lake, through the trees, with Mt. Hood in reflection.

lostlake2.jpg

Sacred

•

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

feeling the smoothness of my walking stick
clutched comfortably in my right hand

an audible stir in the treetops

wind
wafting down the western Cascade slopes

invigorating

the steady rhythm of my footsteps

hypnotic

rounding a bend
brushing through waist-high fern
I crest a knoll
and stop

mesmerized

light drifts down dreamlike
filtered by the woodland canopy
settling golden around me

a power
a presence
is tangible

a breeze enfolds me

intoxicating

the scent of living earth
an addictive bouquet
cedar
Douglas fir
Ponderosa pine
moss
bark
loam
and ionized mountain air

my spirit rises
my being – weightless

I float away
lifted into oneness
wholeness

epiphonal

suddenly
I’m startled

a young doe bounds onto the trail
standing proud
golden in the light

she considers me briefly
then disappears
quick as a stolen glance
quiet as passing time

my eyes dart to find her
here then there
in vain

I catch a glimpse
silver-blue
shimmering
where massive trees part

wind-blown mountain water
crisp
clear
it sparkles

Lost Lake
the namesake of this trail
my reason for this trek into wilderness

climbing a boulder at trail’s edge
I sit
pull my legs under me
lean forward
elbows on knees

I face lake-ward
basking in the energy
of this natural cathedral

I become very still
listening
gazing

just being

in rapt wonderment
at the magnificence that surrounds me

this place is my church
this moment is my prayer

I am in touch with my soul

with the eternal

• • •

rob kistner © 2007