---

We 

            step through the quiet dawn 

            barefoot on wet earth 

            each blade of grass timidly holding our weight 

            only for a second 

            then springing back, untouched, unmarked. 

We 

            don't talk much, only listen 

            to the low hum of our thoughts, 

            the whisper of leaves and 

            the rhythm of breathing in tandem 

            in contrast. 

You 

            on the edge of the trail 

            a stranger with a history I can't recall 

           it feels like we’ve been here before 

           these paths carved by our unspoken words, 

           our silence. 

Together 

           in the evening’s falling light, 

           we drift apart, our footsteps fading, 

           yet bound by this silent knowing– 

           like strangers who know each other 

           we weave through the journey sometimes together.

---

Carl Scharwath, has appeared globally with 180+ journals selecting his writing or art. Carl has published four poetry books and his latest book is “The World Went Dark,” published by Alien Buddha Press. Carl has four photography books, published with Praxis and CreatiVingenuitiy. His photography was exhibited in the Mount Dora and Leesburg Centers for the Arts. Carl is currently an art editor at Glitterati and former editor for Minute Magazine. He was nominated with four The Best of the Net Awards (2022-25) and two different 2023 Pushcart Nominations for poetry and a short story.