The Space Unfolding
A Pause Suspended in Becoming
Midway through the turning of my trail
I carry a thought half-shaped untouched by voice
the earth below offers no sign of impulse
and the horizon stretches without demand
Light bends and lingers in shifting pools
where soft ground receives each careful movement
something waits beneath this slow unfolding
like a verse unfinished floating in the mind
I walk but do not arrive
each step a puzzle with a missing piece
the breeze blows wide and low around me
holding space where certainty might have been
Fields extend and fold in silent motion
and the sky carries a presence neither dense nor light
a trembling held between surety and doubt
like a tune unheard still waiting to be sung
My body turns softly without a thought
a vessel mid-motion bearing pure chance
the stretch between what has passed and what may come
a fragile bridge crafted from breath and pulse
Eyes forward I gather fragments lingering
a vision unseen a thought half-formed
and in this moment paused between
the journey itself becomes the answer
I take another step
not toward closing the gap
but into the opening it reveals
a path without end unfolding within me
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.
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Comments (3)
It's the last few lines that really stick with me. It all leads up to those lines and they pack a poetic punch. What an emotional piece.
As I read this magnificent poem I kept envisioning the image at the top of the page of the man walking away into a yellow hue of obscurity. Your image so perfectly fits the mood of the poem and vice versa. I also want to acknowledge that you did a great job with the image.
Hi, I read your story and I really liked it. It seems like you are a professional writer because you give each scene its own unique value, which very few people manage to do. I really liked your work it was very, very good. Actually, I’m just a casual reader, and I really enjoy reading stories. and I liked it a lot, too. Also, how long have you been doing this work?