The Pause Before Dawn

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There are moments when life shifts, but the direction remains unclear. A door closes, but another hasn’t opened. A decision is made, but the outcome lingers. That space—where one chapter ends and another waits—is where Between Darkness and Light lingers.

This poem doesn’t just describe the moment before dawn. It captures the feeling of standing on the edge of something new, unsure whether to step forward or hold on to what was.

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Between Darkness and Light
The Poem
By: Kerry Ann Wiley

The sky unravels in whispers of gold,
a hush that bends where shadows fold.
Silent, it climbs,
spilling warmth through the night’s last flinch.
A blade of fire parts the deep,
carving the hush where secrets sleep.

Is this birth, or is it decay—
another chance, or time slipping away?

The dark retreats but never dies,
Shadows do not run; they listen,
folding themselves into the seams of light.

And here we stand—
not divided, not whole,
but something unnamed in between.

The dark steps back but does not break,
a quiet pulse beneath the wake.
A hush where echoes hesitate,
neither lost nor returning.

The space between motion,
the weight of a step never taken,
unfinished, but present—
not waiting, only watching.

Trace the seam, shape the gray—
not meant to leave, nor meant to stay.

The Uncertainty of Change

Change rarely unfolds as neatly as it’s imagined. In hindsight, it is often easy to see how one thing ends and another begins. In the moment, however, change is slow, uncertain, and often unclear. It is in the spaces between these shifts, the gaps, where uncertainty lingers.

The poem begins with the sky unraveling in whispers of gold. The light doesn’t rush in; it arrives slowly, almost cautiously. This mirrors the way transitions often feel. They don’t occur all at once. Instead, pieces shift, moments pass, and only later does something new become clear.

Then comes the lingering question:

Is this birth, or is it decay—
another chance, or time slipping away?

At times, change feels like a fresh start; other times, it feels like something slipping out of reach. Often, it is a combination of both. The poem doesn’t offer an answer to this; instead, it simply acknowledges that transformation is rarely simple.

What Stays, What Fades

Change isn’t just about what’s coming; it’s just as much about what remains.

The dark retreats but never dies.

The past doesn’t vanish when something new begins. Shadows don’t run away; they listen, folding into the light and becoming part of it.

This line suggests that the past isn’t erased when change happens. Instead, it remains present, subtly shaping the future. The metaphor of shadows not fleeing, but listening, shows that the past doesn’t vanish—it lingers, adapting with the new.

Shadows folding into the light represent how memories and past experiences don’t disappear; they become part of the present, quietly influencing the future. It acknowledges that the past, though it may shift, continues to exist alongside the new, contributing to the ongoing process of change.

Memories work similarly. The things that came before don’t simply disappear. Some fade over time, while others settle into the present, quietly influencing the future.

The poem captures this tension: moving forward while still carrying pieces of what was.

The Weight of the Unfinished

Near the end of the poem, it lingers on a poignant idea:

The weight of a step never taken.

There is a subtle weight to the things that almost happen: the choices not made, the words left unsaid, the paths unexplored. Even what doesn’t happen still leaves its mark.

That’s why change often feels unsettling. It is not just about what is coming next, but also about what’s being left behind. The uncertainty lies not only in what’s ahead, but in what could have been.

Letting Change Be What It Is

The poem ends with quiet recognition:

Trace the seam, shape the gray—
not meant to leave, nor meant to stay.

Some moments exist simply to be noticed, felt, and understood. Change is not always a clear ending or a definitive beginning. It often lives in the pause before a choice is made, the hesitation before a step forward. It is found in the moment when light and shadow coexist.

Between Darkness and Light embraces the uncertainty that comes with transition. Not every shift needs to be named. Not every change requires understanding. Some moments are meant to be lived, not defined. Eventually, they simply become part of what comes next.