poetry, prose, and photography
A cold and bony gaze
Pierces my confidence,
My peace. Shattering this
Belief that I “have time”, that
I might ignore the dictates
Of time. Slowly I gain the
Strength to return that stare.
Eventually the fear shall fade
And I’ll gaze into this despair
Inspired terror feeling
Tranquility, knowing we all
Share that journey.
I stand upon the edge of light,
Staring far off, into dreams.
Feather-like flutters upon mists
Flowing into life’s reservoirs.
Darkness lapping upon my heel,
My sole. Vacantly lost in thought,
Drifting along the song’s pacing,
I disappear, finding my heart.
Drifting upon a hot summer’s wind
Burning mercilessly, magnifying the
Suffering of the maligned and neglected
Wretched retribution by the raging
Self-righteous. Indignant about any
Perceived attitude of equity.
Sunlight fades, colored bursting glow.
Never to eek out more than a breath
Of my imagination. Slightly glorious
Fading into night’s uniformity.
Strange word, love.
Which means so very much,
Blend of similar emotions.
Often born out of lust,
That short term burst,
Energy, focus, easy flow,
From delight to boredom.
At times I wonder the themes
Of those transitions from lust
To love. Where the dream passes
From self gratification to delight
In that other, the beloved’s joy
More glorious than sunlight.
Life giving, freeing, beyond
Emptiness. Perfection.
For some, “seizing the moment”
Involves a death grip.
Hold that moment forever
Or until it’s torn from our
Grasping, finite fingers.
I seek, simply, to be fully in
Each moment. To savor each
Second dearly. Taste each piece
And fully know it, before it
Collapses into the vaporous
Collective of memory.
Metal descends
Hissing loudly
Linear flow
Impacting bone
Nerves, spine
Seperated from
Itself. These
Strange acts
Of brutal
Mercy.
Weariness grabs my soul
Dragging eyes downwards
Below my stride, footsteps
Striking quietly upon
Concrete, stone, pedestrian
Elements of suburban life.
Daring to connect
To talk, touch, love.
Riding the embrace
Of human connection.
Perhaps feel humiliation’s
Terrible burn, of hearts
Betrayed, of confidences
Flung open into the wide
Abyss of public view.
Cruelty amassed.
Fearlessly facing such,
Diving headfirst into dark
Mist must seem mad
Yet, it’s the realm of vulnerability
Where real love becomes
Manifest.
I seek wisdom.
Crave it, perhaps.
This longing to understand.
Freed from repeating
The past’s miseries.
Carl Setzer: Word Shaper 