The Lantern Within
A Journey Through the Unseen Light of the Self
I move through the haze of my own thinking
hands sweeping walls I cannot see
Ahead, a lantern glows
a flame inside the chest
that declines to be snuffed
It wavers like a heartbeat
a silent insistence
that even in the heaviest dark
something persists
I step closer and it moves with me
a tether
to the part of me
that remembers courage
when I forget
Its light is neither loud nor brash
it does burn, it sustains
Each flicker is a word unsaid
each shimmer a small forgiveness
I give myself
in silence
I follow it through the night
past regrets that crowd the edges
past fears that curl in the corners
and I realize
the lantern is within
always
and I have only been learning
how to step into its glow
The dark remains
and I do not mind
for the lantern never chases it away
It simply illuminates
the path I make
with my own two hands
the path I have always taken
and only now begin to see
About the Creator
Tim Carmichael
I am an Appalachian poet and cookbook author. I write about rural life, family, and the places I grew up around. My poetry and essays have appeared in Beautiful and Brutal Things, My latest book. Check it out on Amazon
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Comments (2)
I like the hope of growth given. Not all is lost yet the path is long and dark
A beautiful piece. There will always be darkness, cultivating a strong inner light can combat it. 👏👏🖤