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Nights of Pale Regret

On Love, Memory, and the Burden of What Remains

By Tim CarmichaelPublished 2 months ago 1 min read

In shadows cast by nights of pale regret,

We weave our dreams where silence dares to tread,

A haunting trace that we can’t forget.

With every whisper, secrets come to pet,

The fragile heart that mourns the words unsaid,

In shadows cast by nights of pale regret.

Your laughter lingers still, a sweet duet,

My mind, a labyrinth of threads to shed,

A haunting trace that we can’t forget.

Each fleeting chance, like sun, begins to set,

While memories rush in like tears, they spread,

In shadows cast by nights of pale regret.

Obsessive thoughts, in spinning webs, are met,

Each pulse a reminder to the heart, lead dread,

A haunting trace that we can’t forget.

So here I stand, a soul in deep debt,

To dreams of love that time has slowly bled,

In shadows cast by nights of pale regret,

A haunting trace that we can’t forget.

Villanelle

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.

https://a.co/d/537XqhW

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  2. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  3. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

  1. Masterful proofreading

    Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

  2. On-point and relevant

    Writing reflected the title & theme

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Comments (5)

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  • Caitlin Charlton2 months ago

    Wow, this was wonderful to read. The poem instantly sets such a powerful mood. I immediately picked up on the great use of half-rhyme and the rhythm in the pairings like 'pale regret' and 'dares to tread'. I can't tell you how beautiful the line 'To pet the fragile heart' is. It was such a total surprise. Vulnerability expressed in such a delicately way. It's stunning.

  • the feeling of burden grew with the progression of your poem, great work

  • Tiffany Gordon2 months ago

    Brilliant writing Tim! Bravo!

  • This was so poignant and brilliantly written. Loved it!

  • You excel in the villanelle. Great job once again, Tim.

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