Dan Williams

Over Your Shoulder

When you take those late night walks to ease your mind

for different air, a different melody;

if you turn around and look over your shoulder,

what do you see?

 

Is that a life of unwise choices there behind you?

Do your unkept promises nip at your heel?

Are you starting now to understand how those

you left back there must feel?

 

You know I\'ve had a late night walk or two myself,

so I know that you and I are much the same;

we think too much and look too much

never seem to really see enough

and still we have not given this thing a name.

 

So that ever-present shadow

you think is following you home

is the reflection of a hundred failed affairs;

any opportunity that passed you

while you looked at what is gone

just turns and stares.

 

Foolish late night walks that

leaves you weak and stupid,

a thing without a name calls rhyming mockery;

when you turn around and look over your shoulder,

what do you see?