The Moment the Light Arrives
When nothing moves, and everything changes
A leaf stills.
The hush arrives in pieces
a sigh caught in the wrist of wind
a pause where movement almost was
No music, only the shape of waiting
Sunlight lowers itself
onto the surface of water
without effort
with the calm of recognition
There is no decision
only the way the light
rests against the world
a shoulder set beside
the pale trunk of a poplar
a gold cord looped through the spine
of a dragonfly held mid-hover beside the reed
Nothing breaks
Even the ripples hesitate
forgetting their script
The moment holds its breath
held still by reverence
Beneath this stillness
a seed of knowing
splits without sound
You don’t see it open
but you feel the shift
in the way your palm warms
without moving
in the way your name
feels lighter
than it did this morning
And maybe it is summer
but the heat never pushes through.
Time no longer walks
It stands beside you
hand open
No one asks you to speak
No one asks you to change
Only to see
what the light sees
that there has always been
a beginning here
quiet as the gleam
on a blade of grass
as wind waits beyond the edge of the pond.
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 insight
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
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More stories from Tim Carmichael and writers in Poets and other communities.
Comments (13)
Beautiful poem. Congratulation on the Top story, what a still nature and human taking a pause from this world greatly captures a moment that can last forever In the poem, you are a great writer. Congratulations! :)
A great read, and I really like how the last line has that feeling of waiting, of the wind about to pick up. "Even the ripples hesitate, forgetting their script"- loved this bit. This challenge is going to have a heap of entries I bet, but I enjoyed reading this one, and I hope it does well Tim:)
This felt so peaceful! Thoroughly enjoyed and much deserving of top story!
Wowwwww........ this is stunning. I'm glad it got recognized...
"Time no longer walks, it stands beside you"- One of my favorite parts of a beautiful poem. Congratulations, Tim, on your top story!
Absolutely beautiful, was a pleasure to read. Well done and congratulations!
This was a truly powerful and beautifully crafted piece — deeply moving and thought-provoking. I have great admiration for writers like you who share their truths with such authenticity and heart. As someone new to the Vocal community, I’m genuinely inspired by the work I’m discovering, and your writing is a reminder of the impact words can have. Wishing you continued success and growth on your journey here. If you ever have a moment, I’d be honored to have you visit my profile and share your thoughts — your perspective would mean a lot to me. 🌿✨
Congrats on top story mate!
« No music, only the shape of waiting » Seems such a perfect description of this certain feeling of stillness. Very nice work!
This is so serene… and this part, “ in the way your name feels lighter than it did this morning” idk it really meant something deep…
Nice
another beautiful one <3
I believe you have a contender my friend. Beautifully expressed