Finish Line

This song by Sarah McLachlan, “In The Arms Of An Angel” always makes me break down. He is my son, Aaron Robert Kistner. Hearing this song takes me deep into memories of my sweet angel. My son Aaron died in his 18th year, just prior to entering college to study music. He was a very handsome, kind, and gentle young man – and a fabulous singer. I miss him so, everyday. I ache to hold him close just once more — to hear his beautiful voice. I wrote this poem very shortly after his tragic death in a horrible auto accident.

In loving memory of my son, Aaron Robert Kistner: 11/4/76 – 7/3/95

 

This is my favorite picture of you son,
the one I treasure most
since your passing.

A simple snapshot,
taken at the airport,
upon your return
from having run the New York City Marathon.

A gentle, triumphant smile,
eyes beaming behind those ‘cool’ shades,
jacket sleeves rolled in casual hip-ness,
bag gripped firm and steady in your left hand,
medal dangling proudly from your strong neck.

The victor: gentle, cool, hip, carefree, proud, and strong,
– fiercely handsome!

How profound this captured moment proved to be.

Taken just before the finish line of your 18 years,
it said it all.

Your race is run,
your bag is packed,
your reward’s in hand.

Fly my sweet angel – fly!

*
rob kistner © 1995

 

Your Car Sir


 

Of course you have a choice sir
of course
we all have choices sir

one always has a choice
the very same choice
you
and the rest of us
have enjoyed
since birth

we can choose to live
we can choose to die
we can choose to smile
we can choose to cry
about it all

we can choose
to get the facts
to understand
or just wonder why

but we all must choose
you must choose

this car sir
will take you
to tomorrow

so if you’d like
to see tomorrow
get in!
now!

the next car back?

sir
that car
will never see tomorrow

but it will be up
in just a moment — sir
if you prefer

*
rob kistner © 2021

Poetry at: The Sunday Muse

Poetry Pantry at: Poets & Storytellers

 

WARNING: adult lyrics

Sorrow


…born in water, in water she’s swept away…

 

Beauty sings to the sea — love’s tone
on this broken, cloud-covered day
slipping into the surge alone
silently, she kicks away

on these broken, cloud-covered days
alone with her fractured wishes
she drops so silently ‘neath the waves
deep, deep down to the fishes

alone with her fractured wishes
a’tumble in the seabed’s sway
down down deep with the fishes
she is leaving it all today

sorrow’s a’swim in the seabed’s sway
beauty’s nothing left to say
she is leaving this lonely world, today
the sea will sweep her away

rob kistner © 2021

*Check out: Joy’s Pantoum


 
https://youtu.be/K5oAf7bs7_U

 

Read more poetry at: dVerse

Day 2 poetry at: NaPoWriMo 2021

Grief


Your unforeseen death came so very swift
ripping into my soul a deep ugly rift

you were so innocent, such a gentle, sweet gift

my shattered heart broken, my dreams now must shift

as back through precious memories I lovingly drift

grief tugs hard my heart, lil’ buddy, you’re so missed!



On 3/6/21 I lost lil’ Edgrrr, my forever buddy!

Day Breaker

“stream-of-consciousness rant”

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”Drinkin’ Thinkin’” by: rob kistner © 1997

 
DayBreaker

(hard-drinkin’, jazz-lovin’, workin’ man’s lament)
~

day breaks
on
a new week’s
sun

putrid
as the stains
on my
flesh-soaked
mattress

damp
as my sour
mat
of fevered
greasy
tangle

hot
as my
whiskey-foul
breath

another
un-commuted
sentence

6A-6P
’til
merciful dusk
delivers me

jack-knifed
into
my
jack and coke

don’t obsess
in sorrow

drown
all
‘da-way
down

a bottom-dive
to comatose

no virtue
feigned
nor
implied

mad goes
the struggle
‘til
saved by
jazz
48 over
‘da
dub-ya
hump

2
debauched
24’s
then
the hissing
sting
of monday
and
the mindless
6-6 grind
120 n’out

cruel numbers
game
goes
round round
and ever round
’til
the tombstone’s
tender
solace

~ ~ ~

rob kistner © 2019

 

  • Click below to see what’s being imitated at dVerse:

    Imitation Practice

  • Crows of Castle Keep

    “Castle Keep is my metaphor for the mind.”

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    Crows of Castle Keep

    my contemplation on dementia

    ~

    my memories gather and squabble
    like the crows of castle keep
    they pick the bones
    of my recall

    bones against the cruel clay
    of an arid
    barren mind

    littered with the harsh forgotten
    like the bones of the dinosaur
    I’m becoming

    struggling
    with what letters are made of
    my words crack and crumble

    my thoughts
    parch and wither

    lonely silhouettes
    against an unforgiving skyline

    fading visions of my past
    of my life
    my home
    of yesterday

    harder and harder to remember
    the degrees of separation
    growing ever greater
    smoldering in the fog
    of my reflected past

    splashes of vivid color
    on scraps of paper
    blown in the mounting winds
    of my confusion

    dread rising
    that I will soon not remember
    what it all meant to me
    a stirring fear I will forget
    lost in tormented emptiness
    that all will go black

    this is not just a poem
    it is much more

    this is a light
    searching in blackness
    for familiar things
    for persons beloved
    that I do not recognize

    this is a fractured tome
    a cry of frustration
    a tear of loss
    a whispered prayer

    an epitaph
    to my fading map of then

    of cherished memories
    that now falter
    and dim

    slowly slipping
    unintelligible
    into the cacophony
    of the crows of castle keep


    E8A2F1BD-9ED3-4D31-95BE-D36EA9CEECC3

    ~ ~ ~

    rob kistner © 2019

     

  • Click below to heck out more poems of blackness on dVerse:

    dVerse Poetics: On Shades of Black

  • Falling To Pieces

    57C44ECB-418A-4FC1-9072-CEC397A993C6
    ”I can’t see the end of me” by: Oladios

     
    Falling To Pieces

    ~

    oh dear
    I fear
    I have lost my heart

    and along with it
    a larger part

    if I do not panic
    but stay calm
    instead
    being careful
    not to lose my head

    if I can
    look to the future
    avoid the dread

    it’s not hard to conceive
    kitty I truly believe

    though parts of me
    have certainly
    lost a bit
    of fleshy tether

    eventually
    with what’s left
    of me
    I can finally

    pull myself together

    ~ ~ ~

    rob kistner © 2019

     

  • To check out more poems at Sunday Muse: CLICK HERE
  • Seabed Sway

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    Seabed Sway

    (- SORROW -)

    ~

    beauty walks to the sea by her home
    on this broken cloudy day
    slips into the sea alone
    silently she swims away

    on this broken cloudy day
    alone with her fractured wishes
    silently she swims away
    deep down with the fishes

    alone with her fractured wishes
    a’swim in the seabed’s sway
    deep down with the fishes
    she is leaving it all today

    a’swim in the seabed’s sway
    with nothing more left to say
    she is leaving it all today
    the sea carries her spirit away

    ~ ~ ~
    ________________________

    (- HAPPINESS -)

    ~

    she walks to the sea by her home
    on this bright and sunny day
    slips into the sea alone
    joyfully she swims away

    on this bright and sunny day
    with her heart awash in wishes
    joyfully she swims away
    down with the colorful fishes

    with her heart awash in wishes
    a’swim in the seabed’s sway
    down with the colorful fishes
    she is filled with love today

    a’swim in the seabed’s sway
    neptune’s beauty on bold display
    she is filled with love today
    letting her dreams carry her away

    ~ ~ ~

    rob kistner © 2019

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    1EC4655A-8EF6-463F-AEB1-A99B1F43E062

     

    Links to my other 3 Pantoums:
    1.) Pantoumadness
    2.) Flame Of Learning
    3.) Lady Blue

     

  • Click below to read more Pantoums at dVerse:
    https://dversepoets.com/2019/02/28/18102/