Original DDE™ art: “Ball’s In Our Hands” — by: rob kistner © 3/16/26
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the forested cliffs
of the coastal northwest
rise proudly
above the powerful pacific—
massive
in their patience
ancient forests
breathing rejuvenating mist
scented with cedar
with sea salt
and rich moss
the ocean whispers
a restless
sacred hymn—
where pearl-frothed
sterling waves
comb basalt shores—
coastal sands
in ages past
we arrived
wearing a thin facade
of false certainty
now this wilderness—
all wilderness
slips beneath it
a quiet strip of doubt
opening in nature’s mind
the mountains
awaken a deeper curiosity—
stirring a tender hope
that something in us
might still listen
that the vulnerable peoples
of this planet’s
fragile ecosystem
might still hear
the lakes and rivers
feel our scalding sting
of long unchecked industry
the salmon of the northwest
flash like frail prayers upstream
as the toxic threat
streams their way
as does our reckless assault
pose critical danger
for the world’s wildlife
for all the living breathing wonders
that are the natural world—
we as well
gathered perilously
in that living fold
we — who must be mindful
stand torn
between reverence—
and appetite
between awe—
and the bitter flaw
of forgetting
one day
the truth will hit us plainly—
the truth will hit us brutally hard—
we may not survive the blow
the earth will revive
to endure—
rain…
wind…
stone…
the tides
they will recover—
they will go on…
they do not need us
while our own bright chapter
may fade
these forests…
these waters…
these winds…
ask only this—
that we remember—
remember the beauty
that raised us
before our blindness
becomes extinction
<~>
rob kistner © 03/14/26
mmm…yes. I loved those forests during my brief time in the Pacific Northwest (Olympia), writing haiku in my head about Mt. Rainier every time I drove past him on route 5. may they outlive us all, and heal from the collective human disease. nice write ~
Thank you very much fried. And oh yes — the earth itself will most certainly survive our stupidity’s. It has much experience with extinction events. We might make it uninhabitable fot human life… but that us our problem —/precisely!
Rob this a powerful ‘memento mori’ for our modern age – bridging the gap between the ancient, stoic patience of the forest and the frantic, self-destructive pace of human industry – excellent ?
Thank you Ange… 🙂 It certainly seems we humans are torn between reverence — and appetite… dangerously so.
i so love this northwest…. i am a wee bit east amongst the evergreens mountains and snow in winter… it is the songbirds sound that soothes the life i live… thank you for the beautiful description of nature’s existence…
You are most welcome my friend… 🙂
This brings back beautiful memories of the time I spent in the Pacific Northwest.
I love this place Sara you know I’m reliable being a cremation urn, and then it will only be to sprinkle me up in lost Lake outside of Portland. Been in Seattle 10 Years Nice Pl. grateful to my son and daughter-in-law for letting us live here — but… for my heart and soul it’s Portland. It’s Oregon.