Fire Mark
Posted by Rob Kistner | Filed under Poetry
•
I remember when it happened
remember well
the all-defining fire mark in time
that forever divided then from now
comfortably alone
walking up along the forested valley
that is our property line at the back
my eyes drifting up the azure waters
of the clear mountain stream
that rolled towards me crisp and pure
at the instant of the startling sound
the strange light
I cast my eyes to the very tops of the Douglas Firs
that stand proud at the river’s edge
sentries for centuries
protecting this northern boundary of our lands
steady and enduring
yet always supple in the winds that waft and quicken
whispering the breath of life
into this pristine realm
two years on now since that ominous moment
but I never can forget the bone chill
that penetrating feeling
I was alone
quite absolutely
too long now since I have shared this vast beauty
with another’s eyes
with her eyes
with any eyes
or found my voice to exclaim its wonders
yet I still ramble the valley
wade the stream
given to an ever-rolling mumble
jabbering quietly to no one in particular
at the ragged edge of coherence
in the chance I might be rewarded with a response
her response
any response
but only comes the murmur of the constant stream
carried on the season’s breezes
I have held my mind in good humor
bound by the glory of this land I wander
tethered to the waning hope
that she is not gone
that they all can’t possibly be gone
a hope buoyed by the majesty of these forests
that climb their way skyward
with the patience and persistence of the ages
but they are gone
every … last … one
gone
can I last the ages
have I that patience
how long can I hold center
when comes my fire mark
my sundown
how long until my fragile psyche unravels
scrambling in lonely panic
seeking human contact
tonight I will sit alone again
in my room
in the soft light of the fire
the only light and warmth possible
since that fateful point in time
alone
month after month
in the smothering silence
in the maddening quiet
of this voiceless world
in which nowhere can be found
her eyes
any eyes
in which never again will I hear
a simple, “hello”
• • •
rob kistner © 2012
________________
“Big Room” by Andrew Wyeth
• this poem loosely inspired by this visual prompt at Magpie Tales
August 26th, 2012 at 1:47 pm
Powerful, flowing, descriptive, a place in time I have also known well. Finding oneself totally alone in the world is eye-opening, earth-shaking, cataclysmic. In time it ends, it will.
August 26th, 2012 at 3:14 pm
wow…lots going on here…great read…and will read once again…thanks for sharing Rob…happy trails
August 26th, 2012 at 5:33 pm
Poignant and so very sad…
August 26th, 2012 at 5:56 pm
When you have shared a meaningful relationship, being alone is just as you describe. The silence does feel smothering. Thank you for sharing, Rob. Very expressive, as always.
August 26th, 2012 at 6:07 pm
Thank you to all who are visiting and commenting…!
I purposely wanted this piece to be open to individual interpretation; end of a relationship, loss of a loved one, personal alienation, etc… but my underlying focus was the fun of
creating an enigmatic verse of science fiction, in the “last human on earth” category…
August 26th, 2012 at 7:33 pm
Ah, my god…empty rooms within and without. Powerful, this.
August 27th, 2012 at 8:03 am
i often walk in desolate places and feel i might be the last one alive..it doesn’t bother me and sometimes seems preferable to the reality. i enjoyed your piece today.
August 27th, 2012 at 9:05 am
Totally understand your sentiment here Kay, I share your appreciation for solitude at times. I wonder however, what it would feel like to actually be the last human on earth…?
August 27th, 2012 at 9:06 am
This is an awesome, immense write! This morning we cannot see Mt. Jefferson ~ always visible from my city ~ because of the forest fires.
August 27th, 2012 at 9:07 am
It’s been a few years, but like life I’ve cycled back and found your poetry blog once more. I think what caught my eye (in the beginning) was how visual your words were.
They are like the wind blowing through your journey here. For me, this poem captures loss. What kind of loss, I don’t know, but a loss none the same.
I love the imagery here, the Douglas Firs, the stream, you’ve got textures and colors, the flora and fauna of the poetic world going on.
Thank you for such a lovely and thought provoking read.
August 27th, 2012 at 12:45 pm
Rob, this was an intense read, as usually the nature scenes speak to placid moments, communing with Mother Earth.
Your words of loneliness, so haunting. How you keep coming back not so much to “them” as to “her.” And the phrase that got me was “Sentries for centuries,” a beautiful nod to the trees that will stand as we all turn to dust. Amy
http://sharplittlepencil.com/2012/08/27/deep-seated-exploration/
August 27th, 2012 at 5:04 pm
Poignant and beautiful.
I am sharing this one with my husband, who is a lover of those sentries for centuries.
=)
August 28th, 2012 at 12:14 pm
beautiful and sad….communing with nature but no other humans – I have known that place….emotional read…
August 28th, 2012 at 2:15 pm
A wonderful poem. That phrase, ‘fire mark’ is so evocative.
August 28th, 2012 at 7:10 pm
Soulful piece, Rob. I believe so many of us who open our hearts on the page suffer the pain of loneliness.
Heartbreaking and truly felt.
August 29th, 2012 at 4:05 am
I couldn’t help thinking of the Pacific Northwest where I live and the pristine lakes, hiking trails, etc. where one often gets these wistful feelings…how small we are..at least that is my take …nice..
August 29th, 2012 at 4:08 am
I meant to add how I can only imagine the loss of such a companion…the finality of it..
August 29th, 2012 at 5:15 am
He has lost more than just his companion kkkkaty, he has lost everyone on earth — he is the last man alive on the planet, and dealing with it the best he can, taking solace in living nature;;;
August 29th, 2012 at 5:31 am
an interesting thought….i love nature and would find my solace there as well given the situation but without human contact i wonder what you would lose….would you forget how to talk eventually…how would your heart respond….interesting ponderings sir…
August 29th, 2012 at 11:59 am
Oh goodness. The loneliness in this is so penetrating. Love the story-like quality of it as well. Beautiful writing.
August 30th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
I’m glad you clarified your reason for writing this… got to wondering if your wife’s photo would soon be removed! Glad to know that is not the case.
“my fragile psyche unravels
scrambling in lonely panic” … I’m afraid that would happen to me very, very early on!