"433" by Katelyn Oster

433

 

anxious as the tree in fall


whose leaves tumble from its body 


without any notice of resignation,


my body trembles in the chilled night air,


waiting for any sign at all


that will tell me when they will all depart.



the ones I've loved, hated, and dismissed,


each face that I've known 


has been but a passing car on the highway of my dreams


in and out of different lanes


but always left behind.


I wonder about them from time to time,


and yearn for their voices once more,


like the smell of your mother's dresses at Mass


long after she has met her grave.



at a train station, boarding the car,


my limbs struggling behind me with luggage,


I wonder,


how is it that we operate


without coins or currents? 
the blood, ever boiling


with the passions of life


is sufficient for survival.


the human machine, so delicate


yet strong, so mystical


yet understood,


is a work of art


I'll never master.

About the Poet:  Katelyn Oster was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1990. She attended four years at The Ohio State University, where she fostered her love for writing and wrote over 400 individual poems. As the first place “Literature” winner for the University’s literary magazine in 2012, Katelyn found the perfect opportunity to publish her first compilation book. She has written over 500 poems to date and maintains her own personal writing blog at www.katelynoster.com. She enjoys spending her spare time painting, writing, and reading.

Poet's notes: "433" asks the reader to consider the eventual end of all things, portraying the awe-inspiring nature of the timeless and everlasting.

Editor's Note:  "433" has a dreamlike quality supported by vivid images with a universal theme that should resonate with many readers.  The poem was first published on the poet's blog, www.katelynoster.com.