The ink is a pulse, a rhythmic beat,
Where worlds are born and shadows meet.
For ten long years, the stories have grown,
In quiet rooms and the great unknown—
From the dark of the woods to the stars above,
Built with a decade of labor and love.

There is a lightning strike in the chest
When a character finally stands the test,
When a sentence clicks like a skeleton key
And the soul of the book is finally free.
I know these bones, I know they are strong,
I’ve carried these voices for far too long.

But the silence is heavy, a vast, open sea,
Between the heart of the book and the eyes that should see.
I’ve woven the magic, I’ve mapped out the stars,
I’ve bled on the pages and counted the scars.
I stand at the window, my hands on the glass,
Watching the world and the witnesses pass.

“Look here,” I whisper, “the bridge is now built,
Full of wonder and terror, of glory and guilt.”
I know it is good—I have felt the fire burn,
I’ve earned every chapter and every sharp turn.
The thrill is the making, the joy is the craft,
But the hope is the reader on this lonely raft.

So I’ll keep on shouting into the dark,
Fanning the ember and chasing the spark.
For the stories are ready, the gates are ajar,
Waiting for someone to see who we are.

More works by Nancy Ann Creed

MAEVE https://books2read.com/u/m25Ygd
MATTHEW https://books2read.com/u/bzNZYj
JUSTIN https://books2read.com/u/mBKzLZ
MAURELLE https://books2read.com/u/bzN19D
ANNBELLE https://books2read.com/u/bWqEkx
Carillon https://books2read.com/u/38anZV (COMING MARCH 1, 2026)