Shades is a poetry collection that explores the changing tones of human experience through memory, nature, family, faith, loneliness, love, fear, and hope. Each poem captures a distinct moment while opening space for reflection within.

Moving from quiet mornings and lamplit roads to storms, city streets, aging, parenthood, and spiritual questions, Shades finds meaning in scenes and difficult emotions. R. Mark Beal uses vivid imagery and reflection to consider how time changes people, what memory preserves, and where hope remains quietly.