Of a Black Cat Observed at Midnight
An Elegy for Shadows (Unofficial Challenge: A Black Cat)
The creature moves
as liquid shadow,
poured from some celestial vessel,
its form a riddle wrapped in fur.
What thinkers name darkness
takes four feet
and golden eyes
that hold the moon's own light.
It walks between the worlds we know
and those we dare imagine,
familiar yet profane.
The ancients called such beasts
witches' kin,
though I perceive a different truth:
Here stalks a sovereign thing
that answers to no mortal law,
whose very blackness swallow's light
and makes of absence
something whole, complete, magnificent.
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.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
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Comments (4)
Congratulations! I was absolutely blown away by this. You won the challenge! Here's my post announcing the winner: https://shopping-feedback.today/writers/results-the-winner-of-my-black-cat-challenge-is%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E. I will be publishing a piece highlighting what I loved about your poem shortly and I will add it to the comments section here and on the unofficial challenge page.
Incredible! You are such a talented poet. ❤️
Well-wrought! The contrast between the eyes and the fur are especially noticeable in such creatures!
I think you captured the feline essence beautifully here.