R.M. ENGELHARDT

Poet Writer Author Albany NY

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R.M. Engelhardt is an American poet, writer and author who over the last three decades has published over 20 books of poetry including “Nod” “Alchemy” DarkLands, RAW & “The Last Cigarette: The Collected Poems of R.M. Engelhardt. The founder of the Upstate NY organization ALBANY POETS & the Annual Poetry Celebration THE ALBANY WORD FEST he has through his ideas & visions helped to contribute a large amount of advocacy and creativity to the Spoken Word~Poetry Capital District scene and is the former host of the long running readings The School of Night & Vox. He is currently the host of SPEAK THE WORD ALBANY!. An Open Mic for Poetry And The Spoken Word at Ophelias. Over the last thirty years his work has also been published in many journals such as The Rye Whiskey Review, Red Fez, Rusty Truck, Sure! The Charles Bukowski Newsletter, Thunder Sandwich, Black Noise, The Hobo Camp Review, Full of Crow, on the Outlaw Poetry Network & in many many others. Look for his books “WHERE THE PEOPLE’S VISION PERISHES 2020” “DARK LANDS (2019 on LuLu, Amazon & At Barnes and Noble) The Resurrection Waltz, 2012 ( Infinity Press) & “COFFEE ASS BLUES & OTHER POEMS” ( 2018 Alien Buddha Press 2018) ” DarkLands” 2019 & “Where There Is No Vision” 2020, “WE RISE LIKE SMOKE” (2021) & Of Spirit, Ash & Bone (2022) and RAW- Poems ( 2023) all available on Amazon.com He is also the Editor of the small independent poetry press Dead Man’s Press Ink since 1998. Look for his books The Bones of Our Existence A Journal 2046 & his new books THE DYING TIME POEMS BY R.M. Engelhardt 2026 & NO KINGS 2025 available at Barnes & Noble and currently on Amazon. www.gentlemanoutsider.com *All Poems, Writings & Information Contained On This Blog Are The Property & Owned By The Author R.M. Engelhardt. © 2026 www.rmengelhardt.com

THE BEGINNING ALWAYS BEGINS WITH THE END

THE BEGINNING ALWAYS
BEGINS WITH THE END

The beginning always
Begins with
The end

To every story
Every moment
Every living being

Every life

Transcends

Before creation
Came destruction
Before the light
Became the end

But who were you
Before you were you or
The you of now?

For the beginning always
Begins with
The end

Not then
But now

And what made the stars
In the sky or the glimmer
In your eyes seeking love
Or the acceptance
Beauty or virtue a part
Of you?

Something so
Profound that made
The universe descend
Into the voice of one man?

Or woman

Trying to live
Or simply make
A difference

For the beginning always
Begins with
The end

Of violence
Of hatred
Of all emotions
Shattered against
The vast desperation

Of one humanity

Seeking truth

Struggling to be
Something more

For the beginning always
Begins with
The end

And we
What we are
Flickers away in
A single moment of
Comparison

In the entire portrait
Of what was and can be

And if the end is
Always then the beginning
Must be now

For the beginning always
Begins with
The end

And all those ends
And beginnings must
Begin with you

For the dark always
Sees the dark & nothing

More

And you
It’s only

Light

~ R.M. Engelhardt
©2026

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