“Went digging through some of my older poetry to find this piece I wrote 9 years ago, March 2010. I remember being inspired to write it watching Hermione’s love potion scene in ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Price.’ I had just purchased the DVD at the time. My grandson was watching the DVD last night, which put me in mind of this poem. Wanted to share it here for dVerse OLN #252. It contains very minimal revision and a slight upgrade in graphic embellishment”
a heart of iron
into a heart of gold
no precious warmth
will manifest
from something hard and cold
a love that’s locked
and set in cast
can never be set free
there is no hope
nor magic spell
not even alchemy
you cannot stop
the hands of time
from spinning ever on
when the sand
is through the hourglass
those days are ever gone
you cannot bring summer back
when the leaves
are off the tree
there is no hope
nor magic spell
not even alchemy
rob kistner © 2010
revision © 2019
A beautiful poem!
My post would beg to differ with your premise, though. =)
you spin the words like an alchemist from the past and your verse is always words that will lsat and last. nice writing and your site is great.
Hey Rob, here’s another “take” on your wonderful “Alchemy” poem which I would love to change via alchemist’s magic love potion! I wish!
Alchemist’s Mistress
you can change
a heart of iron
to gold
precious warmth
alchemy’s magic
will heat the cold
a love locked out
cast to the wind
never thought free
there’s always hope
spells loud incantations
maybe even alchemy
love makes
time stands still
forever moving on
sands of time
dissolve like dust
forever completely gone
maybe even alchemy
Love like hope
Springs eternal
there is a hope
and magic spell
you can bring summer back
when the leaves
return to the trees
bravo!
There is always hope 🙂
As the wheel of time turns Kate, so too the seasons … hope is always alive!
Well its truly magical…
Good work 🙂
A hardened heart is a stubborn old thing.
A sense of loss is predominant in these lines. Hope some magic or miracle? can change the mood.
Love be its own alchemy
till wrong it goes
yet even then turns
one time more
the magic spent
on whys wherefores
the breath like hoarfrost
chilling what remains.
The will of man is a hard thing, and, true, there is no changing of a hard heart–unless the inside begin melting first. You’ve written a beautiful poem expressing it…wistful even in certainty of despair.
You certainly evoked strong responses – even inspired more poetry. I would just send a hug, this was so devoid of hope it hurt.
Hello all –
As Dee wrote, this poem evoked strong responses, and I appreciate all the comments — and the poetry offered by Jane and Maureen.
This piece came to me in an almost stream-of-consciousness inspiration very late in the midnight hour, while brooding over an argument I had with Kathy hat evening. It was sparked by, of all things, a love potion scene from Harry Potter.
I have a deep pessimism, a strong romanticism, and a very resonant melancholy that entwine within me. In my daily life I tend to find humor, even wonder in the world around me. I have a loving relationship with my wife and two surviving children.
However, there has been horror in my life on more than one occasion, some over extended periods, and it has left a darkness deep inside. It is unnerving to me at times — but it does not rule me.
I invite you to read a reasonable cross-section of my poetry to find the whole picture of me.
I offer this in closing…
not easy to change
a heart of iron
into a heart of gold
or find the precious warmth
required to thaw
the hard and cold
a love that’s locked
and set in cast
is difficult to free
perhaps with hope
and a bit of magic
will come the alchemy
…rob 😉
no need to explain, your inner beauty shines through Rob!
I absolutely love this original one and the add ons … HP has inspired quite a few of my poems, it’s great fodder 🙂
Thank you Kate! Harry & friends are fascinating projections of Rowlands spirit… 🙂
There is sometimes something about life like that iron-clad heart impossible to break. No matter how hard you try, nothing will mend the missing pieces in life. We try to recover all the pieces left after the collapse, but they are, seemingly, unrecoverable. The French would say “C’est la vie”, but I would say, what Dylan Thomas would say “strive strive against the dying of the light”. The battle ensues; a never ending uphill battle similar to Sisyphis pushing the huge rock up the hill each day only for it to roll back down the hill each night. Daunting life can be. Yes, Rob, I can totally relate!
Beautiful yet a little pesamistic! A lovely piece once again Rob
oops i made a boo-boo. I meant to say Sisyphus and Dylan Thomas “Do Not Go Gently” should read “rage rage against the dying of the light”. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused (?) 🙂
It’s been awhile since a poem made me pause this long. This piece is beautifully written.
A tough piece of pessimism, but there is a unmistakable core of truth in it. Some things that are done simply cannot be undone–or undone simply.
Knowing a little of the inspiration behind your work definitely gives perspective to understanding your voice. I’m sorry that your life has provided so much grist for darkness. Perhaps in surviving you can find a bit of catharsis in planting your experiences in your creative expression. And maybe, just maybe you can find a bit of hope in the process.
after reading yr poem the picture made a whole lot more sense as a reference….it was a bit sad, beautiful tho…as if you were sitting contemplating, putting into words the sense of yr heartfelt emotions…being returned and reborn is a beautiful possibility as others have mentioned…it is timeless…
Thanks for sharing this gem. Like you, on my 11 year old blog, I have thousands of old poems. If I was not working so hard on my Cinemagenic series, I’d dip into my archives too.
My search fo this actually got sparked by my grandson watching an old Harry Potter movie last night, and asking me — “what’s a love potion PaPa.”
As the French say, tant pis. Seasons change, people change, the world changes. It is logical – leaves off the tree cannot be glued or taped or wired back on. One can only wait for the new season and the new leaves to grow. I too have known much horror and darkness in my life. I totally relate to where you went with this.
I was upset and in one of my many pessimistic phases when I wrote this Toni — up on mount negative. I come down to my dwelling plce in the rich valley of possibility frequently.
I do love this… to me it represent all those irreversible little things happening, ana maybe magic is the things that truly would turn against the laws of nature.
Glad you liked this Björn. A little magic always helps. We need yo make our own magic! 🙂
I don’t see it as pessimism. I see it as realism. An apropos sentiment for the autumn season, methinks.
It was written after a rather stubborn argument, so I was upset Tim. But it is truth!
Alchemy in the archives, Rob. Your poem is a spell to soften a hard heart!
Thank you Kim, I am pleased you found positive resonance. I wrote a softer version down in the comments section. And withgood fortune, there will be the eventual summer.
The flow in your poem here is beautifully well expressed. 🙂
I love the influence that came from it. 🙂
Thank you Charlie. The words came from a lover’s heart, in the throes of temporary upset and frustration.
In the context of an argument I can see where you were with this. I’m glad you felt it then continued on. I like the flow of your poem, with the break in the center.
Thank you Lisa. The first half of the poem is a declaration regarding love, albeit, somewhat pessimistic. The second part is a sort of warning of such, reminding that something gone, or left to expire, cannot be revived. The stanza about Summer leaves opens to door to a possible future, via a seadonal return.
lovely, and warming, and very much like a love potion.
Thank you Misky, glad it resonated for you… 🙂
Beautiful words, and a lovely flow Rob!
Thank you for your kind words Linda… 🙂
A debatable issue that often makes us stop and wonder. Beautiful words with flow!
Thank you very much Astrid. 🙂
Marvelously tight rhyme. I read it, then went back and read it aloud.
Thank you Xan, I am very pleased you enjoyed this. I always felt it could be a song.
That is why the present and now are ever so precious. Have a good week Rob.
Yes Grace. We must always be grateful for what we have.
That was absolutely beautiful. I loved the opening:
“you cannot change
a heart of iron
into a heart of gold
no precious warmth
will manifest
from something hard and cold”
Thank you Christine!
Time and the tides wait for no man… you have shown it well in this great poem, Rob. Hank William sang it best…”How can I heal your doubtful mind and melt your cold cold heart!
Thank you Dwight! Ol’ Hank was a wise man.
Oh this is lovely Rob. Even magic needs to work within the circles of life.
Thank you Kerfe. Magic is afoot, circling just at the edge of our awareness.
Wonderful, Rob.
Thank you Ken! 🙂
A wonderful weaving of words although I disagree. I believe transformation is possible!
Thank you Mary. I absolutely believe in transformation, life is evolution. I simply don’t believe emotions are circular.