Lantern of the Open Road
An Ode to the Flame That Waits Ahead
A small fire burns within my mind
golden tremulous alive
the memory of a friend
who once moved through the world with laughter
The night stretches far beyond me
and still that warmth persists
holding shape against the shadows
I feel the glow in the silence of trees
in the hush above hidden rivers
Each thought gathers around it
every recollection rising into the air
Perhaps it was kindled long ago
by a hand that reached for me
as if nothing needed saying
yet left a light no darkness could erase
O steadfast memory
you are a thought made visible
a vow that trembles but endures
I see my own face reflected in your radiance
and the world grows immense alive forgiven
I lift my head
carrying your glow within me
and walk on
guided by the light of who I loved
About the Creator
Tim Carmichael
Tim is an Appalachian poet and cookbook author. He writes about rural life, family, and the places he grew up around. His poetry and essays have appeared in Bloodroot and Coal Dust, his latest book.
Keep reading
More stories from Tim Carmichael and writers in Poets and other communities.
The steps to losing a child
Step One: Lose a child. Not what anyone wants to happen and nothing you can do to change it, but you can go through steps to becoming happy again. You can go through steps to loving again. You can go through steps to become a new you because after losing a child you will never be the same person you once were.
By Tabitha Hinkley5 days ago in Fiction
Comments (1)
Gorgeous! 💪🏾🎉