“unsigned horizon”
The horizon stays unsigned,
a gray span that won’t take a mark.
The raft holds by its own inward pull,
nothing formal keeping it together.
No place for the shore to grab hold,
no cut in the wood for a hook
to turn it toward the wharf.
When the cloud cover hardens into a wall,
and the air drops in its own weight,
the mind has to adjust to that dimness.
It learns to breathe underwater,
to keep a small counter‑current alive
while the world asks for a choice
it has no right to ask for.
The shore’s light keeps searching—
looking for a gap, a point to press—
and meets only a surface
that offers nothing back.
The sun rises needing no agreement,
moving in its own slow way,
a gold that holds even as dark pushes in—
gold behind the grey,
heat that stays when the rest goes cold,
steady enough to keep
the raft in one piece.
.
-
Author:
crypticbard (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: March 25th, 2026 05:36
- Comment from author about the poem: "keeping peace" (mp4a) The horizon stays unsigned, a grey span that won’t take a mark. The raft holds by its own inward pull, nothing formal keeping it together... while the world asks for a choice it has no right to ask for... The shore’s light keeps searching— looking for a gap, a point to press— The sun rises needing no agreement, moving in its own slow way, a gold that holds even as dark pushes — heat that stays when the rest goes cold, steady enough to keep the raft in one piece. Steady enough to keep the raft in peace. .
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- Views: 12
- Users favorite of this poem: sorenbarrett, Tristan Robert Lange
- In collections: 2026.
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Comments7
Cryptic your poems are growing deeper and deeper. Here the horizon is unsigned indeed and gray. That gray hazy line that holds the meaning of something beyond but not visible from where one stands. I take the raft to be us afloat, our own inward force holding it together and no way to affix line or rope to draw us ashore. The next stanza speaks of the rigid view, a wall and we must learn to breath underwater creating hope in the form of counter currents to keep us alive. That lighthouse from shore meets no gaps in this wall of rigidity. It is the hope behind the clouds that gives us enough to keep ourselves together. That's my take but that too may be a wall of clouds that does not allow me to see the true light behind.
It’s probably because those around me are thinking deeply and that’s quite acclimatising it seems. I shall come up for air soon; I hope 🕊️🙏🏻
Always well written and powerful.
Katie
Thank you Katie B. 🕊️🙏🏻
arqios, this builds with restraint…nothing forced, everything held in tension. The unsigned horizon, the refusal to be pulled toward shore, the pressure to choose…all of it gathers without breaking. And that gold behind the grey carries it through…ending not in resolution, but in endurance…“steady enough to keep / the raft in one piece.” Strong, steady work, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
Cheers, Tittu🕊️🙏🏻
Doh! How can I think deeper and unravel cryptic-ness with only me 3 - maybe 4 now - brain cells?! heehee. Good write A.
Thanks O🕊️🙏🏻
Great word painting. Can imagine this on my wall (sorry - if I had a space!) I enjoyed the texture and feel.
Ah, the scene that speaks and intimates, that’s the picture we gaze at🕊️🙏🏻
Very descriptive as usual. I keep seeing the Mississippi through this.
Thanks, Kevin. That was the basic inspiration. Glad it got across 🕊️🙏🏻
May that raft float on forever Rik.
Andy
May it do so, Andy; thanks🕊️🙏🏻
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