Uncertain Wheel


Original DDE™ surreal art: “Time’s Wheel of Uncertainty” by: rob kistner © 12/10/24

 
The great wheel of time
rises up through fog of history
midst missed-moments meadow
silhouetted by grey of mystery

this great wheel of time
turns ever slow and steadily
its fluid mass unstoppable
it revolves onward mightily

outlives the mortal mountain
bears the burden of potentially
sees ages and civilizations
borne and razed eventually

our frail lifetimes ride this wheel
how far — is not for us to see
with faith and fate, ’round we go
orbiting bold toward our destiny

as ever fragile temporal beings
of a most truly amazing bravery
we choose to dream of a tomorrow
for which there is no guarantee

though circling toward this future
of veiled and vague contingency
still, on we whirl — and dare to love
despite this vast uncertainty
enjoying the amazing mind-blowing ride
the sensations the emotions the mystery

*
rob kistner © 12/10-12/24

Poetry at: dVerse

Poetry at: dVerse OLN

 

39 thoughts on “Uncertain Wheel”

  1. Uncertain wheel indeed…

    we dream of a tomorrow
    for which there is no guarantee

    I lost my brother recently and unfortunately his dream ended too soon! Your words speak to my broken heart…

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  2. If there’s one thing that stops the wheel of time, it’s love which exists out of time and eternally. Daring to love, we embrace eternity. How beautifully you show how it overcomes temporal uncertainty too, Rob.

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    1. Thank you Dora. Here is how I envision it. Nothing stops the wheel of time, unless all of existence became pure void. We get off the wheel of time personally when our material existence becomes pure energy at our death. Time does not exist in that ethereal essence, nor does any personal awareness — we reach the pure oneness, returning from whence we came. It can be difficult for many, as it certainly was for me, to grasp that personal awareness is only necessary to operate and maintain this body in which we are now isolated, in order that the energy possessing it can utilize it to achieve the awareness of oneness. At that point we become a balanced positive for the oneness. What is most difficult to grok, is that personal awareness is not a liberation, it is a confining isolation — nor can we fully comprehend the ecstasy of oneness. This cage of “I” is all we know, so we become frightened of letting go of this “familiar”, to instead become truly infinite. Like any fear, it holds us until we overcome it. At that point we also realize just how limiting that fear was, and how it held us captive. {that concludes the flow of enlightenment at this particular moment}

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  3. That wheel can take us on a journey or it can crush us, Rob, it’s up to us to learn to ride it. I like the alliteration in ‘midst missed moments meadow’, a familiar place we all visit from time to time.

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  5. I find this touching on the big oxymoron of living. Of future we know nothing (even less now than a few years back) and yet we make plans for a future that is just uncertain. Maybe we should just enjoy the walk.

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  8. I can feel the movement of the wheel, most especially in this stanza:
    “our frail lifetimes ride this wheel
    how far — is not for us to see
    with faith and fate, ’round we go
    orbiting bold toward our destiny”
    Am glad you end on a positive note….YES! We dare to love!
    Hope to see you Saturday!

    Reply

    1. Thank you Lil! I wrote this entire piece to emphasize tge fact that time and life are not for tye faint of heart – but it is a “wonderful chaos” that should be experienced with love. 🙂

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  10. Whichever way you can bring peace to your soul, do it. I’ve had to escape into fiction in order to do it, but it’s that or something much worse. Hoping life is treating you well, my friend. I will try and join in on Saturday but no promises.

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    1. Thank you Li(sa). I am still upright, smiling — so what more can I expect. I hope I truly make it to 7:00 AM Saturday. If I do, I will see you there my friend… 🙂

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  11. Your poetry often brings to my mind “music” and this is no exception. Blood Sweat & Tears singing ‘what goes up must come down.’ What a great song and this is a great poem.
    See you Saturday morning …. promise.

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    1. I am glad you can hear the music in my words Helen. It is exactly what runs through my being when I write. It may not always be beautiful music my friend, it may be dramatic, it may be startling, it may strike an unnerving chord — but to me it is always music. The lyrics to the chords of my life… 🙂

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      1. I seldom break my promises, however at 7:55 am I jumped out of bed and tried to join with a “Happy Holidays Everyone” .. alas I could not enter, too late. Party plus a Broadway performers Cancer Benefit Concert in Bend. Raised over $60,000! Sincerely wishing you a good 2025, not too much drama [enough to keep things interesting] and health that keeps you here in the Pub for all of us.

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  18. A great reminder to enjoy the ride, Rob. It was wonderful to see you on Saturday. Happy holidays. Stay healthy. See you in January. ??????????

    Reply

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