Original DDE™ art: “Into The Earth” — by: rob kistner © 3/17/26
—-<§>—-
yes it’s true
I went away
no tears my love
I’m back today
I will likely leave again
not sure how
don’t know when
to ride this river— life
I will know joy
I’ll too know strife
with my eyes
fixed on the morning star
I fear I’ve drifted
a bit too far
there was supposed to be
a quiet ending
somewhere back there—
a special place
where this river narrowed
and slipped underground
I remember passing it—
or perhaps
it passed me
since then
life has felt slightly unreal—
like walking through a dream
after the alarm rings
the world remains
astonishingly ordinary
coffee steams in the morning…
clouds sliding past the moon…
wind nudging the branches
into slow conversation
my body has grown heavy
with memories—
good and bad—
with the long stories of time
fatige sits beside me
like an old companion
pain speaks sometimes
in low persistent syllables
yet breath continues—
patient…
rhythmic…
faithful as the tide…
sometimes not so
I watch the warm sun
return again
over rooftops—
over distant mountains
it seems unconcerned
with predictions—
with my plight
light pours itself freely
across another day—
and still another
as I sit here—
beyond the place
where my ledger first closed—
feeling less like a survivor
than a witness—
someone invited unexpectedly
to remain in the theater
after the curtain fell
watching the empty stage
fill with morning once more—
listening quietly
for my sunset bell
<~>
rob kistner © 03/7/26
I always enjoy your thoughts and artwork, Rob. I love the life goes no matter how I feel musings. I always come back to the sun shines or doesn’t shine regardless of how I feel. Always a pleasure to see what you come up with in these prompts!
Thank you so much for your gracious words Cara. My mind is a carnival, I have no idea why the prompts strike me like they do? But I always saw the world from a different. Years now of heavy medication— including some recreational.
Love “mind as a carnival” in your comment … I also never know how a prompt might influence my thinking, the most wonderful aspect to dVerse and several others I frequent! I love going in quirky directions.
Thank you Helen. I do not know why, but my “spam net” captured your last three comments, this one and two others. I think I corrected it —- at least I hope so my friend… 🙂
Hi Rob, I’m always happy to read your poems, but you put this in the linky for Prosery.
That was a mistake Merril. I had been working on Subterranian for the next OLN, then in a blank headed moment, I posted it. So sorry my friend. Please feel free to take down the link to Subterranian — and again, my apologies… 😐
We all do things like that, Rob! I’ll take it down though, since it doesn’t fit Prosery.
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