Shaking Shadows

 

Shadows detach at dusk, and like bats,
roost together in sinister rookeries at night,
wrapped in black mantles
hanging about upside down, gossiping.

Peter Pan lost his shadow,
"do you know where they put my shadow?" he cried.
He found it in a chest.
He cried when water and soap failed to stick it back on,
but laughed in joy when dear Wendy,
sewed it back on, re-attaching it with needle and thread.
"I daresay it will hurt a little," she said.

You look back and see someone staring,
with you in their gaze.
"Is that person looking at me",
Why? Do I know them? Have I seen that face before?
You look back later, that stare and glare
are still there. 
Why are you being shadowed?

You duck down alleys, trying to avoid being noticed.
But footsteps follow, someone is there!
They are coming!
You are hiding in fear behind a wall.
A shadow crawls prone towards your,
gets bigger and closer.
But, suddenly the shadow turns, passes by and slinks off.
Whew! What a relief. That was a close call!

Shadows are followers, seldom leaders or climbers.
They have forgotten how to tell the time.
They slink like a snake, prone along the ground.
Like a dog they hound you panting, begging for a pat.
But they are always out of reach, defiant,
allusive, tough job to touch.

Shadows are rather stiff, hard-edged, 
all telling, not fibbing, nor forgiving.
Shadows are brutally honest, dark and gloomy,
sketches of self in outline,
sketches we would rather lose
'cause they can't be colored in.

Like bad memories they haunt you,
and tag you around all day.
But, unlike dreams or nightmares, 
you can shake shadows off at night.
Shadows can be put to bed, or they wander
off by themselves to hang about gossiping.
Strangely, you can drown shadows in water,
and shake 'em off in other shadows.
Shadows are better shaken 
not stirred.