Original DDE™ art: “Painting The Canyon” by: rob kistner © 1/20/26
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January leans over the Clackamas
its icy rapids
speaking in bright curt syllables—
silver over cold stone
as it sculps its way west
from deep in the Cascade Mountains
snow quilts the gorge
as layer upon hushed layer
sparkle beneath towering lodgepole
and white western pine—
standing like sentinels
dark spires
in a frozen marbled cathedral
of crisp breath and frost
the sun sinks low
and the canyon ignites—
not in flame
but in fierce color
vermilion
molten gold
violet smoke
cerulean
amber flaring
over the rims of shadow
light skids
across bald glacial boulders
slick as molten pigment
on a wild
unframed canvas
even the tumbling river
catches vivid fire
each ripple a shard
of burning glass
each rapid a brief star
bursting and gone
shadows lengthen—
black and deep charcoal
pencil across pristine snow
the roar of whitewater
seems to soften
as if listening to itself—
as if remembering older winters
for one bright moment
the world becomes an abstract—
knife-cut acrylic edges
that peak and flash
sharp and wind-honed
we stand
stunned in the radiance
untouched
as daylight scatters
like sparks downstream—
glinting golden
until gentle night
gathers them safely
into its coddling hands—
blanketing them in darkness
<~>
rob kistner © 1/20/26
Rob, this is beautiful ~ an extraordinary poem about “our part of the world.” Bravo, Bravo.
Thank you Helen! I love our part of the world. I would have been well off the rails had I not discovered this paradise in 1990… 🙂
Beautiful imagery in image, word, and song <3
Thank you Lisa! 🙂
You’re very welcome.
🙂
Beautifully written Rob your use of imagery is masterful. The artwork is stunning and compliments your poetry.
Thank you True! I genuinely appreciate you kindness my friend… 🙂
I love the way you painted the canyon, Rob, a sparkling, sibilant poem, especially the ‘icy rapids speaking in bright curt syllables’ and the use of colour to illuminate your words in the lines:
‘the sun sinks low
and the canyon ignites—
not in flame
but in fierce color’.
I also love this metaphor:
‘shadows lengthen—
black and deep charcoal
pencil across pristine snow’.
I am so vry glad you enjoyed this. Great deal to me Kim… 😉
Love the way you paint a gorgeous snow landscape….
Nanture on display Björn
Love this especially; “the roar of whitewater seems to soften as if listening to itself— as if remembering older winters.”
Thank you Sanaa. 🙂 The concept of the waters “listening” evolved from my envisioning the waters of the earth being connected, and perhaps there is a “knowing” within nature that is deeper than we are unable to envision or understand.
Nice imagery and tone! Well done! (You might want to consider publishing — list of publications that accept poems previously posted on blogs: https://zumpoems.com/2025/10/14/poetry-publications/)
Thank you. I will check out what you have shared with me. 🙂
Amazing poem and painting! seems we live within a general proximity! Excellant work!
Thank you Cara. I genuinely appreciate your kind words… 🙂
Wonderous and wonderful. Good one Rob ?
Thank you shaun… 🙂