Two Poems & Beneath the Shattered Sky - Flash Fiction by Concetta Pipia

 

 

To Be Present: A Dance With Existence

 

In the stretch of an eternal before,

The haze of the past, the echo of lore,

There lies the question that none can ignore:

What does it mean to be evermore?

Do we wander, untethered from time’s ground,

Seeking solace where no answer is found?

Or do we bask in the present profound,

Where existence dances without a sound?

To be present, a riddle, deeply concealed,

A paradox wrapped in a whisper concealed,

From the depths of the mind, it is revealed,

Yet in moments, its essence is soon unsealed.

Behold, as the moments float and combine,

And the fleeting hours, like embers, decline,

Our beings awaken, as if they align,

With the symphony of life’s rhythm and rhyme.

Akin to a window, transparent and true,

The present moment lays open to view,

Unyielding to time, it offers the clue,

To the secrets of life that we all pursue.

For it is not the past that paints life’s hue,

Nor the future, distant, forever askew,

But the present, enigmatic and new,

That unveils the world from a vantage so true.

Senses awaken, thoughts cease to compare,

To what once was or what thoughts will ensnare,

And in this stillness, a vision so rare,

We dissolve in the moment without a care.

But heed, for the present is fleeting, dear friend,

A whisper in time that we cannot extend,

So embrace its embrace and its beauty attend,

Before it slips through our grasp at life’s end.

Oh, to be present, fully alive,

To surrender to now with heart and with strive,

Is to know life’s essence, its joys, and its dive,

And dance with existence, this waltz we do thrive.

So let us not dwell in the haze of the past,

Nor be swayed by the future’s uncertain forecast,

For the present, eternal, forever to last,

Is the treasure we seek in life’s vast contrast.

 

In the Meadow of Moments

 

In the meadow of moments, as time gently slips away,

I take a faint look, in awe of the passing day.

With little focus, I watch the hours softly glide,

Unaware of their significance, in my own little stride.

But oh, dear one, in the palm of my hand,

Looking for you in the nooks and crannies of time.

In each fleeting second, I seek your presence, my guide,

In the quiet corners, where hidden wonders reside.

In morning's embrace, I feel a subtle bliss,

As sunlight kisses the world with a tender kiss.

Yet my gaze is faint, lost in thoughts and dreams,

Captivated by the beauty, in rivers and in the streams.

Evening unfolds, painting the sky in hues of gold,

Yet I, in my solitude, feel the world unfold.

A faint look at time, as it gracefully goes by,

A pervasive sense of amazement, in each passing sigh.

Oh, to pause and truly feel the pulse of life's stream,

To embrace the subtleties, like a waking dream.

But in my isolated state, I often miss the signs,

Yearning to find you, in the nooks of fleeting time.

In the meadow of moments, where solitude resides,

I search for you, dear one, with wide-open eyes.

And though I may feel the weight of time's gentle hush,

I'll keep searching, always seeking, for your touch.

 

Beneath the Shattered Sky

Flash Fiction

by Concetta Pipia

 

Amidst the fading embers of a once-vibrant realm, Raelis, the last guardian, stood atop the crumbling tower. The sky, once a kaleidoscope of hues, now hung in mourning, shrouded in ominous greys. The dying land whispered its final sighs, as the very essence of magic waned.

In the courtyard below, a spectral figure emerged from the shadows—a being born of twilight and sorrow. Lirael, a once-mighty sorceress, approached Raelis with a gaze that mirrored the twilight sky.

"The end is nigh, Raelis," she murmured, her voice echoing the melancholy of crumbling stone. "Remember when the rivers flowed with the melodies of life? Now, they dry into haunting echoes."

Raelis, his eyes reflecting the weight of a thousand memories, nodded solemnly. "The forests, once alive with whispers of ancient tales, now stand as silent witnesses to the unravelling."

Together, they ascended the tower, each step resonating with the heartbeat of a dying realm. At the summit, where the air shimmered with engagement rings, Raelis and Lirael beheld the horizon—one last panorama painted in twilight's embrace.

A zephyr carried remnants of a bygone era. "Our stories etched in starlight," Raelis mused, his words a lament for what once was.

Lirael, her eyes reflecting ancient constellations, replied, "Yet even stars fade, leaving only the void."

As the world crumbled below, they engaged in a silent communion, their gazes transcending spoken language. The cosmic ballet unfolded, stars fading like embers relinquishing their glow. Raelis extended a hand; Lirael grasped it, their touch a final testament to the fading magic that bound them.

In the quietude, Raelis spoke, his words a hymn to the vanishing cosmos. "Our world meets its twilight, Lirael. Remember the vibrant cities that now repeat in the corridors of memory. Can you still hear the laughter that once danced in the streets?"

Lirael's eyes shimmered with tears unshed. "The end is a doorway, Raelis. An invitation to the unknown. Can you recall the warmth of the sun on our faces or the taste of sweet ambrosia from the orchards? Those moments linger in the recesses of time."

As the tower crumbled beneath them, they shared a fleeting smile—a melancholic acknowledgement of the inevitable. The final breath of the world reverberated in the silence, and Raelis and Lirael, silhouetted against the dying sky, stepped into the abyss together.

The world, now devoid of its wonders, faded into whispers. The echoes of Raelis and Lirael lingered in the cosmic expanse, becoming the forgotten verses of a song that once enraptured the very fabric of reality.

In the aftermath, the void stretched infinitely, awaiting the emergence of new stories, magic, and the birth of a universe yet unimagined. The remnants of their world became the fertile soil for seeds of creation; in the silence, the cosmos whispered the promise of a rebirth yet unseen.

The cosmic scene unfolded; they embraced boundless possibilities, becoming architects of a new reality. Through the eons, their essence linked with stardust, crafting tales that echoed across the expanse of existence.

Concetta Pipia is a writer and poet. Her poems appear in numerous, international anthologies and e-literary magazines. She is the founder of Aspiring Writers' Society, an online writing group and co-editor of its e-zine, a tri- annual magazine. She is also co-editor of its soon to be released anthology, "Seasons of Change: Reflecting Today, Dreaming Tomorrow." She attended Parsons School of Design (BFA), Touro University School of Law (J.D.), and the University of Phoenix (remote)(MBA/HRM). She loves dogs and horticulture.