Shadow

The curtains part, and for a moment, in the dim light

On this rare occasion, I can see a faint shadow

It's hard to place your face in this menagerie

In the ragged confetti of a mind that used to be, me

Confined to this cold home that I no longer live in

My palace with shuttered windows

The cruel hand of fate often visits me there

Opens all the doors, but the cupboards are bare

The ghosts of yesteryear

In séance call out —

"If you are present, give us a sign"

These phantoms of my mind usually fade away

But, occasionally,

One lone shadow tends to stay

Hidden in the dark recesses of my cluttered attic

Dust fills empty spaces

The door to reality has all but closed

And the Wyrd is in the closet with me

But for some reason

Your shadow casts a light in my heart

The curtains part, and for a moment, in the dim light

On this rare occasion, I can see a faint shadow

It's hard to place your face in this menagerie

In the ragged confetti of a mind that used to be, me

But for some reason

But for some reason

Your shadow casts a light in my heart

© 2023 John Osinga. All rights reserved. St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. Revised 2026.