Tim Carmichael

Joined March 2025

237 stories

Bio

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

https://a.co/d/537XqhW

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Stories (237)

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’Tis the Season for Apple Stack Cake in Appalachia
Apple Stack Cake holds a special place in Appalachian food traditions. Often served during Thanksgiving and Christmas, this layered dessert reflects the ingenuity and resourcefulness of mountain cooks. Unlike typical cakes, Apple Stack Cake is made from several thin layers of cake stacked with a spiced apple filling. The layers are firm, more like a cookie than a soft sponge, and the filling made from apples, sugar, and warming spices softens the cake over time.
By Tim Carmichael4 months ago in Feast
When the Flame Bows
I have carried this fire within me for longer than I can remember. It has warmed strangers on cold nights, lit pathways for those who were lost,
By Tim Carmichael4 months ago in Poets
To Burn with Grace
The flame speaks to me tonight in a language older than words, older than the wind that brought the first spark to the first darkness.
By Tim Carmichael4 months ago in Poets
Another Challenge I Won't Win, A Villanelle
Another challenge I won't win, I clicked "submit" but now I'm filled with doubt. My entry's live, the wait begins. I refresh the page, my head's a spin,
By Tim Carmichael4 months ago in Poets
Petals and Grain
From fertile fields, the golden grain we glean, A harvest rich, a bounty to convene. Each stalk a story, nurtured by the sun,
By Tim Carmichael4 months ago in Poets
Postcard from the Parking Lot
Dear Moon, Listen, I know you get a lot of mail. Every drunk poet and their grandmother has probably written you at least twice.
By Tim Carmichael4 months ago in Poets
Moon, We Need to Talk About Your Life Choices
Dear Moon, I'm writing this because I care. We've been neighbors for a while now and I've noticed some things that have me a little concerned.
By Tim Carmichael4 months ago in Poets
Held by the Turning World
There is motion beneath all that appears still, a deep accord between earth and pulse. It steadies me when I waver, teaching balance through its patience.
By Tim Carmichael4 months ago in Poets
The Shadow at My Shoulder
The shadow at my shoulder will not fade, Its hollow eyes that watch me in the night. I scream against the bargain that we've made.
By Tim Carmichael4 months ago in Poets
Only From Inside
The walls are breathing with my scattered mind, I count the cracks, then count them all again. The door is locked, but only from inside.
By Tim Carmichael4 months ago in Poets
For Jean Passerat, inventor of the villanelle
In ruffled collar, turned against the light, A poet gazes toward what lies beyond, The man who gave the villanelle its flight.
By Tim Carmichael4 months ago in Poets
Carried Forward (Villanelle)
The years go forward, but the past remains, A burden that settles deeper as we age. Time offers distance, not release from chains.
By Tim Carmichael4 months ago in Poets