If I fear the darkness.
If I worry what horrors await within,
or convince myself the world may crumble around me,
should I stand my ground?
Should I retreat?
Will I be sated in the safety of reluctance,
content to never wonder of that which my fear has never seen,
or shall I be forever regretful of what I may have missed
on the other side of calm?
About the Creator
Cathy holmes
Canadian family girl with a recently discovered love for writing. Other loves include animals and sports.
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Nice work
Very well written. Keep up the good work!
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Heartfelt and relatable
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Excellent storytelling
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FPS: The Last Flame Challenge Winners
Welcome to our first Winners Announcement of the year and to the final challenge in the Fall Poetry Series. The Last Flame invited writers to sit with endings, using fire as a central image to consider what remains when something burns out: ash, warmth, memory, silence, or the faint promise of what comes next. The strongest pieces treated endings as gradual rather than sudden, allowing them to flicker, dim, and linger.
By Vocal Curation Team5 days ago in Resources
Comments (20)
Sometimes, FOMO can be a good thing I guess!
A beautiful poem and a great reminder!
I love this Cathy!! It's so metaphorical but also such a great illustration of what some of the hardest journeys can yield!! Great work!
Your contemplative thoughts ignite a sense of introspection, wonderful work, thank you for sharing!
Glad to see Vocal is showcasing so many talented poets. Congrats
Fabulous work as usual my friend! Thx 4 sharing! This was something that I needed to hear! :)
Powerful questions, strung together with such grace. ❤️ I think everyone can relate to these wonderings!
Pleasing and pretty; this soothed my angst today. Is this a photo you took?
Amazing poem!
Oh wow, the other side is so beautiful! Loved your poem so much!
Truly lovely!
Awesome!!! Loved this!!!❤️❤️💕
Fear is definitely the other side of Calm
This is an absolutely wonderful, wise and moving poem, Cathy. To me, this is the ultimate existential question! The pic is both a beautiful and perfect accompaniment for your poetry. I hope this gets top story. I can’t emphasize that enough!
Stunning photos and poem, Cathy! A question quite worthy of consideration at many a crossroads
I HEAR YOU!
This line says it all for me: 'or shall I be forever regretful of what I may have missed' This is wonderful
Thought provoking ekphrastic poem for the great photos ✅/
I love how the last line of the poem ties into the title. Great work!
Very philosophical. I think we all have thoughts like this, Cathy.