Images

”Ask not, who are we — existentially, we are me.”

When another
tells you of yourself
you’re shown the dance they see
your outward choreography

they hear not the music
that rings true within your mind
that leads and drives your steps
to your inward dance — they’re blind

others see a reflection
not the light that shines inside
that illuminates your soul
to guide your steps and stride

so, are we the “I” we know
the self that we so treasure
or are we in fact — another
the one the others measure

if the authentic “I”
be the one outward shown.
then we are in fact — the “I”
to ourselves — not known

for surely when compared
the majority story shared
is of the outward other
the one seen by another

and so we live our life
cloistered in this outward other
and live this life alone
even when by many known

for the “I” that’s outward shown
is likely the “I” that’s not our own

to be truly known is an unlikelihood
we are all so easily misunderstood

*
rob kistner © 2022

Poetry at: The Sunday Muse

The eyes are so familiar

the nose
the mouth
the chin

staring back
the one they think I am
the one I want to be

but a longer look
deeper into the stare
there is another

one only I recognize

there
caught in the reflection
revealed
my other self
inner self
the one I truly am

the dark one
the pretender
the imposter

born in another place
born with another name
in another reality

I was an “undesired”
an inconvenient child

I was labeled — MISTAKE!
misbegotten
unfortunate
a problem

ultimately
to be left behind
alone

abandoned
in a cold metal orphanage crib

in a big
sparse
cold room

overseen
by strange
grey-habit’d
amorphous figures

nuns!

I had been tried
convicted
and sentenced
for my early life
to know confusion
know shame

know the sorrow
of the unwanted

and through my early years
I did not understand
I struggled
felt so alienated

felt condemned
guilty only
of the crime
of inconvenience

someone else’s
inconvenience

but that is yet another life
another story
that will finally include a hero
that will eventually resolve

now
I’m just tryin’ to get by

so I shudder
break my stare

now a brief tug of insecurity
a twinge of fear
hoping that my guise holds fast
that I’m not found out

my imperfection
my duality
this masquerade

I blink wide my eyes
and check my teeth
lift my paw
to stroke my fur
making certain my “mask” is tight

best face forward
always

a final glance
I purr away the doubt

*
rob kistner © 2022

Poetry at: The Sunday Muse

G olden lady — just who are you
a beauty sure to mesmerize
so seductive as to scandalize

your my every dream come true
I’m spellbound by your magic eyes
I’m in a trance — you hypnotize

a stare of comely crystal blue
floats low above a sensual pout
you hold my soul — I’ve no way out

tongue-wet lips smolder passion’s hue
blush painted by your master hand
such masterstrokes you understand

I’m captive — nothing I can do
I’m quite hopelessly addicted
my sweet angel — you’re so wicked

golden lady — just who are you
your my every dream come true
a stare of comely crystal blue
tongue-wet lips smolder passion’s hue
I’m captive — nothing I can do

*
rob kistner © 2022

More poetry at: dVerse

Gaze upon
the mythic moon

light your spark of wonder
with a brightened moonbeam

drink up
the mystery moon

let it fill you
full and good

night
is the time of promise

follow
the elusive moon

walk closely

find its secret place

of crystal dreams
of fractal visions

capture
the wilding moon

embrace
its sterling spirit

let it set free
your fantasies

then ride
the magnificent moon

ride

to the realm
of midnight magic
that glistens
for you there

like stardust
in the folds of time

* *
— SHORT RHYMING VERSION —

Ride the moon
light the poet’s lamp
explore the secret realm of rhyme

ride the moon
to seek the magic
that glistens there

like stardust
in the folds of time

*
rob kistner © 2022

~ moonlight — goodnight — moonwalk ~

More poetry at: dVerse

Ruby’d facets sparkle
clutter on
tugging me along

clusters
of headlights
bunch diamond bright
nudging me onward

the precious chaos
jumbles for miles
to disappear
beyond sight
front and rear

Bangkok traffic’s tight
this midnight
as I creep

only two thoughts

hotel
and sleep

*
rob kistner © 2022

More poetry at: dVerse

This is the last known photo
of my amazing inter-galactic
multi-dimensional flying Ghia
and surf buggy supreme

it was taken immediately prior to it
hurtling into the milky way
leaving on its journey
‘cross the crystal galaxy
to travel to Talurus
to mine the golden god tears
that puddle and collect
very near the lapis covered
temple of temporal fire
at the cliffen’d base
of the pearl forests of argus major

all I know for perplexing certainty
is that following the day
my legendary magic Ghia
was to have reached its cosmic destination
star trader — after star trader — after star trader
began delivering me cases — upon cases
of gilded crystal teal tear fall
with notes to count clearly — and index
then prepare them for the prophesized return time
when the wealth of our small band of ghiaphytes
will be shared with joy and life-changing impact
among the fair and faithful who served well
despite incredible improbability
by waiting — believing — and holding to the truth
passed down ions upon ions by the ole volks
foretelling the coming
of a mysterious wonder wagon of dreams

*
rob kistner © 2022

Poetry at: The Sunday Muse

My warm mouth
upon you
fully

I bite you
gently
feeling your flesh
firm on my teeth

your juices glisten
trickle from my lips
heady rich
and sticky thick

your taste
tantalizingly tart
tingling my tongue tip

I bite you
crisply
my savoring breath
swoons softly

your texture
is exquisite
and bouquet
intoxicating

your succulence
like love’s nectar

such a luscious pleasure
my sweet strawberry!

*
rob kistner © 2019

10/1/19 poetry at: dVerse

*
rob kistner © 2022

5/10/22 poetry at: dVerse
5/12/22 OLN poetry at: dVerse

https://youtu.be/yFc-clt3vKc

*
rob kistner © 2022

Poetry at: dVerse

 
Abandoned from the beginning
turned loose alone
down the slide of life

no preparation
no explanation
no true identification

just — baby go…
!!wheeeeee!!

off you sailed
mini mr tieke

enduring and surviving
each unexpected turn
each unseen bump
each unsettling drop

faster and faster
as time flashed by
in a hurry
kinda blurry

as you picked up speed
you picked up vague images
collecting them
clinging to them

embracing them desperately
turning them to realities
at least
to the best of your abilities

lil’man alone
you made them your own
you made them your life

you smiled
you shed tears
mostly
you just held on
battling fears

until
a real dad stepped in
got better then

you made time
you lost time
you made love
you lost love
you made no excuses

and now
here you are lil’ lawrence
very near the bottom

squeeze those dreams
if ‘ya still got’m

soon it will end

how will it end

only the verse of poets
or the dogmas of priests
dare venture a posit

and they got no clue
no more than you
little freefall lad

but soon you will know
if you end up glad
or if you been had

you might just find
nuthin’

as perhaps
it is meant to be

we’ll see
won’t we

well now
hope the hell now
you enjoyed the ride

the terror
the thrills
the speed

because
in the end
my friend

the ride
is all that’s
guaranteed

*
rob kistner © 2022

Poetry at: The Sunday Muse

Poetry at: earthweal

bottom picture by: Robert Doisneau “The Ghost Train,” 1953

is it this,

or this,

who really knows?

This day
despite my fear
calm settles over me
the warm embrace that is my love
for you

the fog
of foolish thoughts
that would disrupt my peace
cannot enshroud me — for you are
with me

I see
with clarity
how real our love to be
our true bond of fidelity
gives strength

it’s now
when life seems dark
and fear seeks to consume
I have the love and comfort of
your heart

I know
when this has passed
you will be waiting here
knowing this — I face fate fearless
this day

*
rob kistner © 2022

Poetry at: dVerse

Deep in nightfall
the darkness now descends
the hands of grief extend
terror is knocking at the door

it’s nightfall
words of sorrow stain my lips
slip through my fingertips
and scatter ‘cross the floor

it’s nightfall
the shadows hide my tears
but I am haunted by my fears
I am broken evermore

here in this nightfall
dark waves of misery
are rising like the sea
I am stranded on the shore

it’s nightfall
I am lost — I am alone
confusion grips me to the bone
grief chills me to my core

it’s nightfall
the darkness still descends
the hands of grief again extend
terror is knocking — knocking at the door

as this knocking echoes in my night
I hear you call my name
“be brave my son — for sure
you have been here before”
I whisper through tears and pain
”father — help me again endure”

*
rob kistner © 2022

Poetry at: dVerse

At the sorrowing hour
in deepest night

alone with my thoughts
my terrors
my dreams

sculpting words into wedges
that pry open my psyche
expose raw emotion
bare my soul

here I might glimpse
static free
who really I am

here is my truth

*
rob kistner © 2022

Poetry at: dVerse

After the brutal way you departed
after the forgotten goodbye’s never said
after horror’s realization would not go away

after there was nothing left to enjoy
after the laughter fell silent and mute
after the sadness collected day upon day

after the spaces fell hauntingly empty
after the familiar grew distant and dead
after our time together faded far to the past

after the bitter taste of grief stung my lips
after the loneliness mounted unbearingly
after your memory spilled through my fingers too fast

I did not think you could go deaf in the quiet
I did not think sorrow would burrow in so far
didn’t think the screams in my head would turn to riot
nor did I know how deeply this silence would scar

*
rob kistner © 2022

Poetry at: The Sunday Muse

Poetry at: earthweal

Will you again
be my sweet Juliet
my love for you
still burns hot
drives me utterly mad

you are bewitching
you are by far
the truest love
I’ve ever had

a radiant vision
silken skinned
a translucent
alabaster blaze
torrid
as a teen’s temptation
your body beckons
with invitation

standing here
before me
yearning
my needs are fired
consumed
I’m burning

you must be mine
you will
eternally
my nubile vixen
my dream sublime

oh yes
you are my Juliet
your graceful face
brazen aglow

my fingers tangled
in your hair
I bring your lips to mine
sure — but slow

swept away
I lay you back
on velvet sheets
wrapped in my arms

my eyes aflame
in fetched seduction
I explore
your secret charms

I will be your Romeo
if you let me
I’ll be your last
please — my love — agree

I am always
your potent Spring
here smoldering
on passion’s pyre

lost in the golden light
that folds upon you
soft as satin
silk desire

my fingers trace
your young glistening back
that tempting tapers
to the tender fire

a wonderland
for fingertips
to touch
and tease
and tantalize

such beauty
of unworldly measure
only gods
could fantasize

engulfed
I explore
your quivering body
love-inflicted
soul-addicted

you’re beautiful
as any Juliet
so luscious
heavenly grand

a divinely-pleasing
sculpted vessel
brought forth
by Aphrodite’s hand

a vision
as to hypnotize
enticing in the candle’s flicker
fondled by my hungry eyes

with willful hands
of pleasured probing
I wrap slender waist
then slowly slide
‘cross pleading hips
of sensuous rise
to fall
into the fiery folds of eros
sculpted
from the charms of Venus

’tween dual swells
of timeless myth
that writhe
in throes of pure desire
atop two lithe
and lathen’d stems
drawn by pleasure’s angels
tempered in their sacred fire

come my Juliet
be forever mine
I am your Romeo
until end of time

we knew they’d come for us
never let our sweet love be
not two so different
real love is never free

before we let
Azrael take us
let us die
to pleasured lust
‘til our hungry souls
are sated
’til my passion’s seed
has turned to dust

let our wanton
carnal flames
blaze ever bright
to roar ecstatic
not be rebuffed

in flames of eros
we’ll burn down this night

before they are
forever snuffed

Angel Azreal
*
rob kistner © 2022

Poetry at: dVerse

Western Tanager

Sapsucker, Purple Finch, Crossbill

*
rob kistner © 2022

Poetry at: dVerse

https://youtu.be/c6BbnQ3yL0w
https://youtu.be/kIqRwOFpi1o