Poets logo

Steps Between Shadows

A meditation caught mid-journey

By Tim CarmichaelPublished 5 months ago 1 min read
Photo created by FreePik

Halfway through the corridor of night I halt

though no summons bids me linger

The stones beneath recall every heel before mine

each echo carried forward unfinished unresolved

My thought half born quivers like a candle

trapped between gusts it cannot command

Shall I move onward toward an unseen design

or spiral deeper into the marrow of this silence

The sky unsated hangs with a thousand pale wounds

each star a question pressed into eternitys skin

They stare mute witnesses to my faltering stride

and I prisoner of hesitation dare not answer

There is a heaviness between the breaths

a tremor twisted into the marrow of stillness

I taste the iron of doubt sharp as winters teeth

and carry it with me like an unvoiced prayer

What lies behind is soot and hollow corridors

what lies ahead a veil linked from uncertainty

Yet here within this trembling pause

I feel a melody unresolved

a dirge awaiting the courage of its final note

And so I walk neither fleeing nor arriving

each step a half uttered vow

each silence a cathedral suspended

between despair and its uncertain deliverance

Free Verse

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

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments (2)

Sign in to comment
  • Annie Edwards 5 months ago

    Love this! “Yet here within this trembling pause I feel a melody unresolved” is one of my favorite parts. It flows so beautifully! Very well done!

  • K.B. Silver 5 months ago

    👏🖤

Find us on social media

Miscellaneous links

  • Explore
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Support

© 2026 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.