Pages

Saturday, October 29, 2011

The Shade



 I saw a shadow!
          I haven't been hiding.
You move so fast
          I have to work fast.
But you've been lingering?
          That happens sometimes.
Are you only a shadow?
          I have many names.
Why have you come?
          You know the answer.
Is time nearly up?
           It moves one way only.
It seems to stop sometimes.
           It seems to stop sometimes
                but it doesn't.
Why does it hurt?
           It ends the pain.
Why is it sudden?
           It is what it is..I am what I am.
Are you it or only the shadow.
           I am both..the dread and relief.
Are you here for me?
           You know I'm here and everywhere.
But life seems so permanent.
           Not feeling that way would be intolerable.
What happens afterwards?
          I cannot say, but this will be over, this will be..
Dead?
          Finished.

© Gay Reiser Cannon *2011* All Rights Reserved

I saw a shadow move across my bedroom wall while eating supper tonight. It led to this.

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , ,

19 comments:

  1. ClaudiaOctober 30, 2011 at 2:50 AM

    hey you gave me shivers with this gay...when i was a child i saw a ghost once in my bedroom and i was scared to death...next morning i discovered it was a dress, hanging on the drawer and moving in the wind...ugh...happy halloween..smiles

    ReplyDelete
  2. BeachannyOctober 30, 2011 at 3:45 AM

    I suspect this was something similar. The window is open and it's breezy so it moved something that created a shadowy ripple. ha!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Brian MillerOctober 30, 2011 at 6:07 AM

    bwahahaha...smiles...i grew up with a grave yard in the back yard....seen plenty of ghosts....when the veil grows thin....nice halloweeny piece....

    ReplyDelete
  4. libithinaOctober 30, 2011 at 9:32 AM

    Had to recover my breath after this read Gay ~
    could say which lines powered but it was all ~
    'I am what I am'

    'the shadow.'
    ..'the dread and relief.'
    you put so brilliantly succinctly into words Gay what Bergman put onto film in the classic 'Seventh Seal'~
    ~ Warm Hugs ~
    ~ Lib ~
    x

    ReplyDelete
  5. BeachannyOctober 30, 2011 at 10:10 AM

    Thanks, you guys. This was fast and a conversation. Not any poetic devices. Once it was drafted, couldn't think of any. No mo mojo for this piece, I'm afraid. This is it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. hedgewitchOctober 30, 2011 at 10:11 AM

    Perfect dialog poem, Gay--and the questions are universal--amazing how satisfying your answers are. (Coincidentally--I have a poem in storage from earlier this week with the exact same title--on a different theme, but still, gave me a little shock when I saw it.) Excellent writing, simple clear, direct--and ominous.

    ReplyDelete
  7. BeachannyOctober 30, 2011 at 10:46 AM

    We've been on a psychic groove for a couple of weeks, my friend Hedge (Joy) ... it's a witchin' time of year and unpredictable as they are, my own "insightful" abilities have sprung into action. All about me seems doubly charged, outlined in auras, casting visions of future and past...those little peeks around possible corners. It's strongest this time of year!

    ReplyDelete
  8. DaydreamertooOctober 30, 2011 at 12:00 PM

    Ahh... the bliss of death and yet, and yet... never to fear and yet..
    What a fabulous write and read.
    Yes, like Brian we've 'seen' our fair share of other worldly 'things' here and there this past few years.
    This is simultaneously, scary, yet not because we all know its inevitable. Really enjoyed the read, and RYN: Thanks for sharing what you did, very appreciated. Our (Mine & mini-monster 15 year old) lives are very happy now, we live each day as they come and we share a lot of fun and laughter too.

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousOctober 30, 2011 at 12:51 PM

    LOL... interesting conversation. Too bad they didn't know what was next.

    ReplyDelete
  10. tinkwelbornOctober 30, 2011 at 1:37 PM

    and the Shadow knows!
    like the lines in this poem and the tete-a-tete twixt the two.
    fine job.

    ReplyDelete
  11. MaureenOctober 30, 2011 at 2:58 PM

    No better words for that image!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Pat HattOctober 30, 2011 at 4:13 PM

    haha the shadow seems to have brought about quite the write, I guess good things can come from a fright

    ReplyDelete
  13. LisaOctober 30, 2011 at 6:34 PM

    I wonder why we are scared of the shadows, more than the object itself.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Maude LynnOctober 30, 2011 at 8:39 PM

    Oh, this is chilling!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Madeleine Begun KaneOctober 31, 2011 at 1:34 AM

    Spooky and chilling. Good job.

    ReplyDelete
  16. SheilaNovember 1, 2011 at 2:07 PM

    oh, the difference between "dead" and "finished" - that is one to ponder.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Jenne' R. Andrews November 1, 2011 at 11:21 PM

    This is terrific-- do I pick up on an antiphony here? I especially love:

    Are you it or only the shadow.
    I am both..the dread and relief.
    Are you here for me?
    You know I'm here and everywhere.

    It made me think about just seeing Twilight-- the film the other day-- I love poetic takes on vampirism and thought the filming was terrific, the kiddos quite good. xxxj

    ReplyDelete
  18. kaykualaNovember 2, 2011 at 7:06 PM

    Gay,
    It may be just an innocent dress
    Fluttering in the dark in quick flaps
    But it'll unnecessarily cause duress
    A little night light can be of help

    Great verse!

    Hank

    ReplyDelete
  19. RuthNovember 3, 2011 at 2:58 AM

    Ohh this is like the memory I had yesterday from fourth grade when I conjured Mary Worth in the bathroom mirror at school. Maybe if I'd had a dialog like this with her I would not have run shreaking (silently) from the bathroom.

    Not feeling that way would be intolerable. That got me the most!

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)