Ode to the Shadow – Elvis Munyansanga

O my shadow:

Dark and uninviting,

O lifelong companion:

When the sun is at its highest

And “me” at my lowest,

There you are, cast at your longest

As if ready to swallow me.

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I frequently relinquish control,

Letting my life be led by others

And like the wind

I am blown whichever way

Desiring only to live without a bother.

So every time I look down at you

I wonder–

My shadow, do you see this and seethe?

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As I live in the present

But stuck in the past,

Allowing my misdeeds

To crumble my future;

Time goes on and

I feel a sort of pain,

Filled with longing.

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My shadow,

You always watch me

And when I fall short,

I notice you the most

For when I am down

I picture you

Leaping off the ground

And taking my place.

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Featured image by David Werbrouck via Unsplash

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