Shadows

Shadows,
What are they,
They are fragmented memories,
Memories of what we are,
Of what we used to be,
They are pain,
The pain we cause ourselves,
The pain we cause others,
The pain we keep hidden,
Hidden deep down inside hoping it doesn’t come to the surface,
But every now and then it does,
And people see it as a problem they can solve,
But you know that it’s you that is the problem,
And you walk away into the darkness,
But as you leave they call to you,
“Please, don’t leave. There’s nothing for you out there.”
And you look back showing them the pain in your eyes saying,
“There’s nothing for me for me anywhere…”
You turn and walk away,
But as you walk away you leave behind a shadow,
A shadow of what you where,
Of what you used to be,
But the memory like the shadow lasts only as long as you do.

- James C. Zawacki '92 -