collage entitled “Eden’s Desolation” © 1996 — by: rob kistner
as earth tumbles towards finality
witness the losing of the light
the ever growing darkness
the advance of the cold
the time of endings
death’s due vigil
deep silence
destroyed
desolate
gone
sad
¥
this is the winter of humanity
rob kistner © 2019
dVerse Poetics: On Climate Crisis
Engineered by humanity too.
Damn right Jane! Heavily reinforced with arrogance and stupidity!
“the winter of humanity” is a “good” way of putting it
That is the feeling I get Lisa. The mystery is, will we facilitate a Spring?
Great shape for the piece, the poem caught in a sieve, with the words tumbling to the bottom to lie flaccid in the wet sand. Your piece works on several levels. You both the prompt and dazzled us with creativity.
Thank you Glenn. I saw it also as the top of the hourglass, with the sand running out. Also the action of a drain emptying. The shape felt right to me, and I appreciate your gracious compliments! 🙂
I don’t know how many more of these I can read. It’s heartbreaking.
That it is Linda, and what is really heartrending, is that those in this world who need to have their hearts broken, to be shaken out of their bullshit, don’t get it — and don’t seem to give a fuck. It will all stop eventually, one way or another.
Rob – just the image of your poem was so striking and then the content of your words – powerfully written! K
Thank you Kathleen! It’s all coming down to a choke point. We will either choke to death, or cough up what’s blocking the needed change, and breathe again. It seems so unclear, and not falling, at the moment, on the side of promise.
I like it, the ever growing darkness, winter of humanity. Great piece.
Thank you JP…
A very unique word or prophecy, Rob.
I hope it is a warning and not a prophecy Dwight.
I love the shaped poem as well as the message. Well done Rob.
Thank you Grace! 🙂
It’s the winter of humanity indeed — I too admire your apt use of this form for this strong statement, providing line-breaks exactly where these words should echo inside our heads.
Thank you AnmaI! You have a solid hand on this piece recognizing the power points of the piece. You
The first thing I saw was the shape, Rob. You and Glenn saw it as an hourglass top or a sieve, I saw a tornado of cosmic dust where the Earth once was. You and Sarah both wrote about silence – it’s silent in space and, as far as we know, Earth is the only planet full of sounds and music. The winter of humanity is the perfect way to describe it – only there will be no spring.
I love your perspectives on my piece here Kim. Thank you for taking the time to ponder it and share your thoughts! I love doing concrete (shaped) poems. Being an artist as well as a writer/poet, I am highly visual, so I realize that a shaped poem can communicate and stimulate additionally, the direct result of its shape — and I enjoy that.
And down the funnel we go. The visual as powerful as the words.
Thank you Zan!
I like the power in your message and the shape of the poem is fittingly ominous as it tapers off to nothing. Nicely done.
Thank you Barry!
a scorching winter – the irony ~
Devastation!
I love the message in your words and the shape that compliments it. The first line inspires recognition of the denial that keeps us unaware.
Thank you Astrid.