Please note, Ethical ELA is a public, non-sponsored, non-profit site. All posts were created and offered to this space without compensation — pure generosity of time and heart. Posts and comments are searchable and available to the public. Please be mindful of this as you write and comment. Read more about the site privacy policy here.
Our Host
Stacey Joy, a National Board Certified Teacher, Google Certified Educator, and 2013 L.A. County Teacher of the Year, teaches 5th grade at Baldwin Hills Pilot and Gifted Magnet School. Stacey worked as a part-time faculty advisor for U.C.L.A.’s Teacher Ed. Program and is a teacher leader within her school community. Stacey has been teaching over 35 years and hopes to retire in the next 5 years. Follow Stacey on Twitter @joyteamstars and visit her part-time blog at www.naked-reflections.com.
Inspiration: Shadow Poem
Rosamund S. King said, “I often revise poems using my ‘shadow poems’ exercise detailed in the book Spellbound: The Art of Teaching Poetry. I take a poem, and then rewrite it in different ways or contexts: the poem’s shadow, the poem with mustard, the poem divorced, etc. This poem is the ‘shadow’ of ‘Breathe. As in.’, a response to Eric Garner’s murder by police, which was originally published in Transition magazine.
Breathe. As in. (shadow) by Rosamond S. King
Breathe
. As in what if
the shadow is gold
en? Breathe. As in
hale assuming
exhale. Imagine
that. As in first
person singular. Homonym
:
in centeroftheworld as in
mundane. The opposite of spectacle
spectacular. This is just us
breathing. Imagine
normalized respite
gold in shadows
. You have the
right to breathe and remain
. Imagine
that
.
Process
Think about shadows literally or find some inspiration from these figurative shadows here: https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/shadow
Think about a time when you were in the shadow of someone else, when your own shadow spoke to you, or even the beauty of shadows as seen in my picture prompt. Perhaps you might ponder the mystery of shadows in a room. The possibilities are numerous, so avoid the rabbit hole and pick 2 or 3 to inspire your writing.
When I first wrote this poem a month ago, it was an acrostic. Recently, I used Rosamond’s shadow technique to rewrite it with more details and “divorced” the straight line of bold lettering for the acrostic. Try writing an acrostic and then search for the shadow poem in it. Or use a form you enjoy for poetry or no form at all.
Stacey’s Picture Prompt and Shadow Poem
In the Shadow of Abuse
After the Blood
dried Unseen by the world
She hid herself in pretty boxes
and colorful Envelopes
to give her dark Destruction
a secret Way Out.
Out from the Mirrors in her eyes
showing silent Agony
broken into Neat piles
of suffering.
Unconditionally Purposeful
The parables, the prediction, the truth;
A tree and Its fruit, riper with death.
Everlasting love awaiting, history in the making;
some things need to break to be built better.
I was born there,
broken there,
bonded
then brought back to the light.
Shapes
Are Never
Whole in the shadows,
but the shadows lead to the light.
Dear Stacey,
I like your elaboration of shadows for this prompt! I’m glad this exercise is inspiring so many people.
Happy Poetry Month!
Rosamond (S. King)
Please join me at the free launch for the book “Breathe. As in (shadow” is in!
https://gibneydance.org/event/living-gallery-rosamond-s-king/
OMG!! Totally fan-girling right now! I am definitely joining you! ??????
Shadow Poem
Why
do I
HEAR
his shadow?
Shadows are visual,
the result of a
solid obstruction
blocking the sun’s rays.
Shadows are tethered
to the object
creating them.
So WHY does
his shadow
dance
in the air?
So ironic:
a dancing shadow
for a man
who literally never danced
in his lifetime.
Shadows are silent,
even on a noisy
day
(perhaps that is when
they are loudest).
Daddy’s shadow
and I
are finishing
many conversations
for which we didn’t make
enough time
as he turned
into a wraith
before our eyes.
I love to play
with MY shadow
on the pavement.
Daddy’s shadow
loop-de-loops
and leaps so gracefully
playing, as he
watched
the three of us play
growing up.
Playing in a way
not available
in his childhood,
deep in the
Florida orange groves.
Farm boys
didn’t play,
much.
Childhood hadn’t quite
been invented
there and then.
I reach out
my hand
to grasp his—
but there is
nothing
there
but air.
I feel the air whooshing
through the hole
in my heart.
Oh, Anne, this is a breathtaking poem about your father, playful and present even after his death. There are so many favorite parts, like when he is dancing with his daughters after a short lifetime of not dancing and this:
Thank you for sharing.
Denise: That insight into the playfulness of his shadow came after reflecting on the prompt poem “Shadow of Abuse.” I had thought I, too, might go in that direction–but I realized that the shadow I’ve been living with was utterly different. Thank you for your comments!
Anne, I’m glad I looped back this morning to find this. I appreciate how the clinical language at the beginning ( result of a
solid obstruction
blocking the sun’s rays) indicates a needed distance, objectivity, as you approach what turns into a deeply emotional memory of your father. Line after line resonated, but this might have been my favorite: “a dancing shadow
for a man
who literally never danced
in his lifetime”
It says so much about him…and you.
Thank you, Allison. I hadn’t even seen that clinical to emotional shift–this was one of those rare poems that justf lowed.
shadows poem
the shadows hold their breath
the shadow of the trees
form a skirt beneath their trunk
a dark puddle where the light misses the ground
some tree shadows leave
a filigree on the ground
and I wonder how long
that pattern might last
long enough to run out
and paint the sidewalk
trees leave a lasting impression,
ya know?
Wow, Jamie, such beautiful imagery of trees here:
and
I love the pictures my mind is processing with your beautiful words. They do leave a lasting impression.
Jamie, what a beautiful poem honoring tree shadows. Such vivid images come through. I love the “dark puddle” image the most!
I am shadows of
my poems.
And they are shadows of
me.
We cast each other
in silhouette,
granting privacy
while giving form.
My poem is
the shape of me.
I am the bulk that
blocks the sun
and sets the poem
free of excuses
expectations
and explanations.
No one doubts
the shadow’s
reason to exist.
Allison, I love how you’ve opened and closed your poem. It is the perfect frame to sharing the idea of how your poems are in fact an extension of yourself. I am especially enamored by the thought of letting the poem free. I absolutely adore the beauty of this poem and the lines:
“We cast each other
in silhouette,
granting privacy
while giving form”
These poems we birth must be tended carefully; I feel the tenderness in this poem. Gorgeous!
Allison, I love the gracefulness of this poem. Your line, “ We cast each other/in silhouette,/granting privacy/while giving form” is such a beautiful and helpful image for understanding the writer.
Allison, I love the relationship you have drawn between you and your poems – I love the idea of the cast silhouette, granting privacy while giving form – one has agency one is the recipient
Allison, your poem feels like pas de deux, you and your shadow dancing in relationship without touching (although, as you write, of course our shadows touch/begin with us). Then you make such an elegant glide from shadow to poetry! /My poem is the shape of me/ through which you bring personification into the life of the poem. Unlike my Shadow poem, which covers some of the same themes, but in a much drier, prosaic tone, yours revels in the poetic! Lovely and intellectually challenging, just the right amount.
Hi Allison,
I always enjoy a poem about the poems we are! This is such a loving tribute that honors all of you and your poetry.
❣️❣️
Thanks for this interesting prompt, Stacey! It took me back to my NWP experience; this poem is a shadow of a poem I wrote then which incorporates lyrics from a favorite song (“Groove Me” by Maximum Balloon).
The Shadow of “groove me”
I want you to groove me baby
That second summer as a teacher
surrounded by fellow teachers
fellow writers
I …
I attempted to capture
the genesis of what would
become our biggest accomplishment—
what would become,
two and a half years later,
our marriage.
I wanted to translate
our early reality—
endless, dark, frigid nights—
that was anything but
any of that.
But it was December.
Take us to stars that’s miles away,
The amount of time
between our ignition
and my pen hitting the page
emboldened me to think
I might actually capture
the indescribable.
But the amount of time
between our ignition
and my voice sharing the page
reminded me that we weren’t
and couldn’t be
what we were
because we are.
Let’s groove if you want to.
OH WOW. In a moment here I will head to YouTube to listen to “Groove Me.” But right now, let me say I felt deep sensuality. I love the were/are importance of your final lines. THANK you.
Laura, I am going to have to check out the song you’ve mentioned. I love the energy of this poem. The connection of writing as something that we start up and try to groove with.is fantastic. I hear the passion and love of writing throughout. I especially enjoyed the line:
Yes, poetry can transport us! Thanks for sharing!
Lou, I like how you take a memory of a time – Love the lines – The amount of time/between our ignition/
and my pen hitting the page to because we are – the realization
Good morning Laura! How are you? Did you have your baby yet? It seems time stood still but for you I’m sure it’s been a different situation. I feel like you and I just talked for the Oral History Project.
Your poem is love and tenderness! Writing about writing is always such a sensual experience to me. My favorite lines are:
Love it! Hope all is well.
?
Stacey!
December feels like at least a year ago, yet I have 5 more weeks (I hope!) before the baby boy arrives! I hope that you are doing well! I feel like I’m enjoying the downhill after Spring Break in hyper-mode as I have not just summer to look forward to but also meeting our little guy, of course!
Garden Assistant
Clouds mask the sun
as it begins to set
behind the Coastal Range.
Yet, as I do some evening work
It’s as if there’s a shadow
following me through the yard.
From the incipient
stems of the peonies to the
bulging buds of the
blueberry bush
a familiar panting,
prancing puppy
paces behind me.
As I prune the clematis
he inspects it as if he
has the experience of a
retired gardener.
Evening turns to night
So I retire inside
but not without
my dog.
Fur babies are the BEST shadows of all! I love how it isn’t immediately apparent that it isn’t your literal shadow following you about. It’s not until the fourth stanza that I realized and it brought a smile to my face. My shadow is on her bed below my desk. Ever present. <3
Awe, fur babies are wonderful shadows. Even if mine follows me to the restroom. All the time.
“As I prune the clematis
he inspects it as if he
has the experience of a
retired gardener.”
I can totally picture your dog doing this.
I appreciate how you took the idea of shadow in your own direction: that wonderful pet who shadows you. I especially loved this line: “he inspects it as if he
has the experience of a
retired gardener.”
JOY!
Rachelle, I love the parallel you create between the playfulness of a shadow and a puppy in the garden. I have a garden shadow too—my cat 🙂
Such a lovely companion, nothing better than a pet at our side – curious and devoted, I love the imagery of your garden – Clouds mask the sun, stems of the peonies to the/bulging buds of the/blueberry bush and of course your companion has the experience of a/retired gardener. lovely
A puppy dog! I agree, one of the best kinds of shadows! I want to cast a spotlight on another aspect of your poem: your use of consonance. Your repetition of initial consonants brings your reader to pause and savor the word picture you are drawing. Of course, the best is “panting, prancing puppy paces”!
J-O-E
Capital J
Capital O
Capital E
Blocky
nondescript
Scratches
On a
Whiteboard
At the back
Of the classroom
How many
Shadows
Of those who
Followed you
have fallen
On you?
How many
Tips of
Bored
Fingers
have traced
the filigree
Just waiting
For the bell
To ring?
Perhaps
The liberties
You took
With school
Property
freed the
graffiti
artist
within you.
Funny…
Others come and
Go
But there
You
Remain
Indelibly
Reminding us
You are here.
Katrina,
The permanence of J-O-E makes me smile. I really like this poem and wonder where Joe is making his mark mow.
—Glenda
What an interesting, thought-provoking poem: a student who did not want to be there, but left his mark, his shadow. I just loved it. Thank you.
Katrina, I imagine J-O-E scrawled on the whiteboard came to you when you saw the prompt for shadow poems. I love this topic and am sitting here thinking of Joe right now, shadowy presence that lingers in your classroom. The ending is my favorite:
Light
There is an otherworldly light after a rainstorm
The windows glow with a golden light
Despite the grey sky and darkened trees
The horizon is fading and yet
This light seems to come from a causeless source
How often things are unexplainable
And yet we neglect to look further
Even when an exploration might show us some new view of life
A view not visible in the quick steps and busy tasks of everyday
This is a light only seen in slow motion
In pausing to look for a source that isn’t recognized
What isn’t there, but is, is what we should be seeking
Those minute bits of reality
Missed by speed and carelessness
The moments of observation that would show us a truth
A truth of being that waits for the patient to see
Hiding in plain sight for anyone and no one
Take a breath, close your eyes, let the world wait
Just for a moment, allow the world to settle
The rushes of activity aren’t unstoppable
They simply are waiting for a different kind of action
Sometimes the most important choice is stillness
Every time I copied a line to post as my favorite line, I read a new favorite line in the subsequent stanza! This is our third month in this writing challenge together, and I like how I can really see your writing style. You have a way of approaching a prompt from a philosophical perspective, that makes me appreciate small moments, still, quiet, moments even more.
Cara – This is a beautiful and thought-filled poem. The gentle tone of it , just suggesting we slow the “quick steps” to pay attention is moving. So many phrasing’s are provocative: “isn’t there, but is” and “missed by speed and carelessness “ and “hiding in plain sight fir anyone and no one” filled me right up. Lovely piem! Thank you. Susie
“Take a breath, close your eyes, let the world wait
Just for a moment, allow the world to settle”
Someone in this quote resonates with me. Cara, I love your writing.
If you come with me,
you will feel weightless
drifting alongside
silent sips
ponytail twirls
eyelash lifts
hovering tips
waiting for words
to press a world
into a box
that carries
her.
* Just thinking about my shadow watching me write.
Sarah, this is lovely and so enticing! Your images are so gentle and welcoming. You’ve done a great job exploring the shadows in such a pleasant way. Eyelash lifts, indeed!
lovely…the feeling of weightlessness is carried through with the sips, twirls, eyelash.
Sarah, I love the voice within your poem and the flow of the words is wonderful. I especially enjoyed “drifting alongside/silent sips” and “eyelash lifts/hovering tips”. The focus on these precise movements is excellent. I appreciated your note at the end, too. Thanks for sharing!
I can feel the weightlessness through such great words – drifting, hovering, lifts, twirls – I’m thinking how fun it is to be a shadow, catching so many details in this soft airy way!
This is just a wonderful wisp of a poem that completely captures the feeling of a shadow hovering around you as you write. Beautiful!!
Sarah,
The footnote reminds me there’s always a shadow hanging over what we’ve written. I feel that today. These lines remind me of a writer’s intent.
I love the personification of the pen.
—Glenda
Hi Sarah, your poem is a beautiful shadow in and of itself. Gorgeous!
?
I played with shadows in a few ways. I revisited a poem I wrote about a month ago and revised it. In this version, I am talking to my shadow about wanted to be more than a shadow as I move to the next phase of my life.
I am wondering,
my shadow, please
tell me
will my tears ever
run dry
so I can look at you clearly?
Will there come a time
when my body
is depleted of
the droplets that
always seem to find
their way down
my face to you?
I am wondering,
trusty shadow, please
tell me
will my heart ever
feel full again
so I can be different
and not lifeless
like you?
Will there be a time
when my body
will feel complete
without the two
who once dwelled within
my womb?
I want to be more
than just a
shadow
of the past.
Such sadness…I feel sad for the loss. The questions are very effective. Beautifully written.
Heather, wow, what a heart-breaking poem. The loss resonates and weighs heavy on the heart. I understand that desire to try to move past the pain. Loved the intimate voice and speaking directly to the shadow. Very powerful poem. Thanks for sharing!
Heather, I feel such vivid pain about children growing up and moving away (which is what we’re raising them to do, right?) … the last stanza is such a plaintive cry –
I hope this evocative poem is just the raw pain of a big transition, and that you find lots of happy shadow play in your future! (Btw, did I just blog with you in TWT last month?)
Yes, you did.
Yay! How fun is this? Great to run into you again, writing!!
Sending hugs your way because I feel every bit of your suffering and wondering. I love that you are asking your shadow which means you are reflecting and questioning yourself. I believe you will find answers and feel whole again.
Thank you for sharing such an intimate poem and for trusting our community to hold space for you.
?
The Shadow of My Over Thinking Mind
Where will I be next week?
In a classroom with students and a teacher?
In a classroom alone?
English? Math? Science?
I wish I knew…
Not knowing is scary
Not knowing is hard to plan for
Not knowing is stressful
Not knowing makes me want to stay home
I wish I knew…
I will still track SK Online student progress
I’ll still communicate with counselors
I will continue to email or call students
I’ll show up by 8:00 am every day
I’ll go home at 4:00 pm
I wish I knew more…
There are always more questions than answers
Over analyzing
The when will I know
The how will it be now
The who will be involved
I really wish I knew more…
DeAnna!
I have never thought about the not knowing as a shadow, but that is exactly what it is . The not knowing hovers and presses and causes us to “over analyze” and make us “wish” we knew more rather than drawing on what we know with confidence. This haunts me, and I so appreciate you putting verse to it.
Sarah
Thank you.
What a perfect portrait of anxiety!
Yes, thanks.
Deanna! I am so glad you shared this poem. Anyone who reads this poem will feel exactly how you do — in the shadows of these decisions being made. Your repetition really help reiterate the anxious feelings and I hope corralling some of them into this poem helps relieve a little something.
Thanks Rachelle,
I am trying to rein it in, but as you know it isn’t working so well.
DeAnna****
DeAnna,
This is so authentic and portrays what so many are feeling right now. The uncertainty on SO many levels is just incessant and without relief. You captured the disquiet in your mind perfectly.
?❤?
Thank you.
I’ll tell you what I know! You are a thoughtful educator dedicated to doing what you can till you know more. On behalf of families who may not yet appreciate this aspect of you, accept our thanks and prayers…and a virtual hug.
Thank you.
This has been a hard week for me.
DeAnna, I feel your anguish over not knowing. Imagine this. I’ve been teaching 36 years and we return to the classroom in 2 weeks. Yesterday, nothing was right when I went to “set up” after the workers had already supposedly set up our classrooms. My desks are too close, there’s no markings on the ground for 6ft distancing, and of course there’s never going to be hot water. Not knowing how many of my students are returning, not knowing when the new tech equipment arrives, not knowing if the desk shield will arrive before the students arrive, not knowing seems to be the norm right now. It is hard but you will push right through and be right where you need to be with the students who need you most.
Thank you for sharing your vulnerabilities. Now you know we all feel this too regardless how long you’ve been teaching.
Hoping for an easy transition!!
?
Thank you for your kind words. I will push through, I’ll do what needs to be done, that is just who I am. I just need to process all my unknows and move on to what I know and what I can control. 🙂
I liked the idea of revisiting a poem I previously wrote and thinking about the shadows of that poem. When I think of shadows, I like to imagine the monsters and other creatures that lurk there. This is taken from a poem I originally wrote last year about a small town in Louisiana. I’ve taken out some of the words — hidden them in the shadows — and what’s emerged is the monster I was alluding to all along. I like how much more creepier the poem became using this strategy — it was fun!
A FORGOTTEN TOWN
Driving back
the right time
to see fields and fields
I recognize
but little else.
Between
patches of rural
towns
that break up the stretch
and
a place to rest.
I don’t mind the
quiet
by myself
just me
and
the
ghost town:
Transylvania.
barely there
all that seems to be
a colony of bats
nested
and the king of
TRANSYLVANIA
past
audacity of this declaration
find
signs of life
in this ghost town.
Between the tower
and
no signs of
living
just the remaining bat s
and
rotting welcomes
all
a town of undead
hiding from the sun:
Your town may be next.
This is definitely creepy. I love the repetition of bats, ghosts, and Transylvania. It makes me wonder about your original poem.
You gave me chills! Absolutely love the idea of “rotting welcomes” from monsters! Yikes, my town may be next.
Erica, this is scarrrrrrrryyyyy!! As someone who’s afraid of bats more than ghosts (LOL) I can’t read this without seeing them and feeling terrified.
I’m glad you worked with the original poem to find its spooky shadow poem lurking and
??
Thanks for a very chilling poem!
I am a creation
of human design.
Strides matching perfectly in step.
Mirroring each movement.
Inseparable.
Imperishable.
I haunt your existence,
through no choice of mine,
unable to break into my own strides.
Yet while you cannot be free of me,
nor I free of you,
it is the combination of you and I
which bring depth to our design.
I really liked your piece. Specially the line “Yet while you cannot be free of me, nor I free of you,”
I feel that in my soul.
What a powerful line, “unable to break into my own strides.” I immediately thought of people – not shadows – who live this out.
Stacey, Thank you for your incredible moving poem and prompt. I struggled with this and was trying to write something that ended up being too much for me today so I changed direction and came up with an entirely different poem. I just loved your lines “She hid herself in pretty boxes /and colorful envelopes”. Your strength radiates throughout this poem. I can feel and see the “silent agony”! Incredible poem!
Pool Shadows
Diving into the cool pool
Shadows flit beneath
My ominous form
Floating frontwards – backwards
No mermaid tail to swish
Undulating shadows
Offer to swallow me whole
I willingly drown in its coolness.
A cool pool dive
Beneath the shadows, I flit
Forming ominous waves
Backwards – forwards, I float
Swishing my mermaid tail
Shadows undulating
I swallow whole, offering
Coolness to drown in
Barb Edler
1 April 2021
Barb,
Brilliant reversal in this poem. Why didn’t I think about shadows in water? Well done! My favorite image is in these lines:
I’m drawn to this idea of a shallow swallowing.
—Glenda Funk
Barb – the water and shadows create such an elusive image… there and then almost not there… the movement in water is a cool idea. The shift from first to second stanza in playing with “coolness” and the motion of a mermaid’s tail. Quite a sensory poem! I like the structure of the poem and the power it gives to water and the play I’d light in shadows. Thank you! Susie
I enjoyed your poem! I remember playing at mermaids when I was a kid in the pool and I could easily visualize the light and shifting shadows of the deep end. I really liked the reflection that happened — frontwards -backwards” turning to “backwards – forwards” and of course the use of words like “ominous” and “undulating” were all perfect for capturing that dark and playful imagery!
Oh, Barb, I want to be “Swishing my mermaid tail” so desperately. Thank you for bring this image to me today. I feel the call to “drown” and I also feel the pull to resist.
Sarah
Shadows in the pool. I love it. I love the rearrangement of the words in the second stanza. My favorite lines – “I swallow whole, offering/coolness to drown in” I love my pool and want to float in it forever.
Shadows in the water – I love this! I love the mirroring of the two stanzas, and little flips and tricks of lines – “my ominous forms”/”forming ominous waves”; “undulating shadows” / “shadows undulating,” “offer to swallow me whole” /”I swallow whole, offering” – this is the magic of water, mermaids, shadows. You created poetic shadows!
Hi Barb, I’m returning this morning to see what I missed yesterday and I am grateful to immerse myself in the cool water with your poem today! It literally is the ONE activity I love most that I have had the LEAST opportunities to enjoy. I love how you used the same ideas and images in different ways for both stanzas, It reminds me of what shadows in water do, flowing in various directions. How glorious!
Heaven on earth to me!
???
It’s’ probably evident, but I needed this space to think and process today. I am grateful for this prompt and for my fellow writers.
My Shadow
There is a shadow
over
me.
It is at once
weightless
and
heavy.
All of the expectations
and assumptions of all
of the shoulds
bring it closer.
I should have a job by now.
I should be able to spend more time with the kids.
They should have less TV time.
I should eat healthier.
I should work out more.
I should publish more.
I should do more.
I should be more.
I can feel it’s hot breath
rank with bitterness
and guilt.
I’m not fast enough to outrun it.
Meditation can’t calm it away.
So
it
just
hangs
Chea, your poem is so easy to relate to. I espesially like the way you leave your ending just hanging there. The third stanza is terrific- “the assumptions of all of the shoulds.”
Chea, your poem speaks directly to the way I feel most every day.
The physical presence of this guilty shadow is powerful. Then you close with such an incredible end! Perfectly emphasized! Loved it!
Chea – This shadow is one heavy demon. The “shoulda” just scream to push away the shadow… makes me want to shine bright lights all over you and chase that shadow away. I hear those shoulda though and sure do feel that weight. Your voice is strong in this battle. Thank you for opening this tough feeling… I feel it. Susie
This was a very relatable poem and you did a great job at capturing the heaviness. When I scrolled down and realized you had left on the actual word ‘hangs’ I could practically FEEL the weight of it. Excellent poem.
Oh, my, goodness! Chea! I never thought about shadows as “shoulds” but that is exactly what they are. The shoulds are always pressing, following, haunting, chasing. That imagery is so overwhelming to me and so familiar. I wish you could “hang” it on a hook and walk away. Love the last lines with a single word on each – -so powerful in slowing down my eye and the shadow, still there.
Wow! Could you be describing my shadow? Your “I shoulds” are mine as well. By the time I reach the last line, I literally feel the shadow hanging on my back.
I gave my students the prompt of using should, would, and could in their writing yesterday and I wasn’t all that happy with my own efforts, but I love yours. That was what I wanted to do and couldn’t. Beautifully introspective and just the right amount of unease. I love it.
Chea,
I have a feeling you have many empathetic readers who know the feel of that shadow. It is cathartic to hang the shadow and its weight in this space. I hope that job comes around soon.
—Glenda
I am so happy it is April poetry again! What a fabulous prompt to kick us off, Stacey; your own poem so stark and honest. These lines really resonate for me,
There may yet be another poem for me lurking in the shadows, but this little one is my offering today:
Our shadows
moved together
intertwined
long and friendly
almost dancing
connected
I felt envy
Maureen,
Dancing shadows is a lovely image. I very much like the ambiguity that allows us to imaging w/ whom your shadow is “dancing.”
Maureen, your poem evokes a long spring walk for me. It’s lovely, but that envy at the end keeps me on edge a bit.
Maureen, I love the graceful movement of this poem, but I am struck by the end. It leaves me thinking; such a wonderful effect to leave your readers to ponder. Loved the idea of “almost dancing”…..just love the intrigue of this poem:)
I love the visual you created with the dancing shadows. Your ending leaves me hanging. Your poem brings my mind to a variety of shadows “intertwined/long and friendly.”
Chiaroscuro, Ondatje? (a poem to an author)
How to write of Caravaggio and weave your compex tale,
with light illuminating shadow,
ever present, lingering about the edges of the page?
How to make the words become the art that they describe,
all light illuminating shadow,
imagined, existing in the words laid out in chapters?
How, Michael Ondatje, do you tell a tale so real,
that I still dream in unresolved images,
wondering if I know what any of it means?
Melanie,
Of course I love this poem and feel as though I’m privy to a secret we share. ? The question marks suggest a question w/in statements. I need an answer to the questions, too. Michael Ondatje has been my “mentor” for writing memoir since I first read “Running in the Family.”
—Glenda
And I love that you noticed this iteration of an idea in another form where I am circling back to the ideas of shadows and light metaphors which come and go. I didn’t think many outside of Canada would know Ondatje other than The English Patient – you are so right about that mentor text…and how did I not use parts of it this past semester? This is the other reason that I gain so much from these communities.
This is an author I must now read, thanks to your poem. Absolutely love this accolade about his writing, “that I still dream in unresolved images” – fabulous!
Others are drawn to the author you mention, I, to the artist who whom alude. I “met” Carravagio when preparing to teach my 7th graders the autobiographical novel, I, JUAN DE PAREJA. Your use of allusio and linking his “style” to the theme of today’s challenge are brilliant, illuminating! Love the way you connect the two arts so artfully.
Stacey,
I was particularly struck by the idea of agony being “broken into neat piles of suffering”. I’ve been in that place. Your words took me back and also gave me language for how it felt to live through those moments. Because of your words, I was also able to put language to another experience, one I’ve been holding onto since the day it happened when I was 15. I wrote about it today. I’m grateful for today’s invitation to explore shadows.
Shadow Daughter…the Other
Until thatmoment
when she introduced me
as
“the other one”
as in
“here’s my daughter,
and
here’s the otherone”
I didn’t have proof
nothing tangible
or obvious
to validate
to name
the empty dark
that woke with me
each morning
and put me to bed
each night
other
one
no one’s
daughter
living
in the shadow
of the
truth.
Oh, Erin, what pain and power in your words. There is healing in naming it, and understanding that you had to “live in the shadow of the truth” Oh, that poem is a punch in the stomach of moms and daughters, the brokenness. I’m crying over here, rereading this poem. Wow, identifying…
Just wow!
Erin…how heartbreaking. I am glad this inspiration helped you put that trauma into words.
It’s such a powerful poem but the part that haunts me most is
the empty dark
that woke with me
each morning
and put me to bed
each night.
Wow. Just wow.
Such simple and terribly cold words that hit so hard. This is a powerful poem. These lines are so terribly sad:
Erin, wow, the straight forward honesty of this jarring moment is riveting. The end is incredibly moving. I’m glad you were able to write and share this poem today. Hugs!
Powerful words. I hope your writing helps you come out of the shadows. I keep rereading your poem. These lines are haunting: the empty dark
that woke with me
each morning
and put me to bed
each night
Erin,
I love the way you use font to inextricably link thatmoment to otherone. Your technique is so subtle and so striking. What a painful, powerful memory to share.
Anxious
A barrier stands
between me and the sun
I’m mostly afraid, mostly
frozen
“Just step out of the shadow,” they say
but that’s easier said
than done
when your feet
are glued
to the ground –
and who wants skin cancer anyway?
Rachel, what a sweet poem. It tells the story perfectly, matter-of-factly and with a bit of humor. I can hear this someone who is nervous to shine and be in the center of attention for anything hearing the advice to “Just step out of the shadow.” Maybe I prefer it, and if I come out there will be other things to worry about! Some of my favorite phrases are “mostly afraid, mostly frozen” “feet glued to the ground” Well done!
Isn’t this the witty truth? I prefer the shadows now, too! Interesting to think of “A barrier stands/between me and the sun.”
Rachel, I love how you end this poem which feels like a much lighter note than the first part which is grounded and serious. Your poem reminds me of a wonderful student I had who was an introvert. The feeling of being “glued” resonates in this poem! Loved it!
Stacey, your prompts are always a rich challenge–multi-step! Thank you for this to start our month together. Your poem about the abused woman is so full of imagery and sadness. This part makes me sad and also realize the strength of this woman, that she hid herself in the pretty things to
So powerful. Thank you.
I’ve had George Floyd on my mind all week. I just read the transcript of his encounter with the police. He was scared, not scary. And then the Filipino-American who was attacked in New York. My God, save us. When you shared the list of metaphorical shadows, I was drawn to this verse, which was in the list, and has always been a favorite of mine. Yet, today I wonder if it’s easier for me to believe God’s in control and his protective wings cover me because I don’t have to fear for my life because of my color.
Safe in
Heaven’s
Abode
Direct and
Omnipresent
Word
How do people of color in these
divided states get
to that secret Safe place?
Away from knees on their necks
and hate crimes against their very personhood?
Is God there in Heaven’s
reach? Is there an Abode
for all? Create a just and verdant place, God,
shady with your big wings’ protection.
Stir up good trouble–
Direct distress for us who feel
worthy because of whiteness.
Bring new Omnipresent
Truth in Minneapolis and
beyond. Word of God,
shine in the darkness.
Denise,
I so appreciate how you truly followed the process.
Both your original acrostic and the shadow poem are gems. I especially like
“Direct distress for us who feel
worthy because of whiteness.”
for the ideas but also the sound devices.
Denise, thank you for sharing your process and thinking here today. Your post takes us through a journey and reflection on privilege while giving validation to George’s life. Your use of the Psalm, acrostic, and poem in this one post are beautiful, thank you.
Denise,
I have to ask: Is God in control? I do not know what that means in this world. People have free will. They do what they want, which is what Derek Chauvin did. I like the way you confront this question and tease it out in your acrostic.
is v my favorite part because it’s prayerful and acknowledges God’s hand in moving white people to rise up and be anti racists.
I agree, Glenda! I wrote that about God in control because it’s been on my mind today. In the morning, I had watched this where Jo Luehmann responds to someone’s TikTok about God being in control: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CNFyyavlRtc/ I’m realizing many of my theological ideas are rooted in my privilege.
You made an extraordinarily thoughtful shadow poem, Denise! Thank you for sharing the original acrostic, so simple and prayerful, especially juxtaposed with the full new shadow poem. This poem reminds me of wailing laments at funerals – so intense, so tearful.
Denise, you’ve demonstrated how powerful a poem can been when words hidden in the shadows embolden themselves and step out and speak up. Of course, we also appreciate your acknowledgement of the Word of God being light that reveals what is wrong in our times. Thanks, for both.
Denise, there is no more awesome way to welcome the Easter weekend than the omnipresence of the word! I adore this acrostic and verse!
Denise, your poem is incredible! You need to share this where ever you can. I love the beautiful imagery you create that is such a striking juxtaposition to the horror you articulate. Too many prayers go unanswered and the need to illuminate the dark is a real need in our world. I especially enjoyed the idea of stirring up some good trouble.
Hi Denise, I’m just sitting here reading this over and over. Guess what, Psalm 91 is one of my 5 most favorite scriptures. It’s the one that helped me get through my healing process from abuse. Wow, I’m kind of at a loss for words.
The process, the original acrostic, the new shadow poem, all show your gifts in verse. Thank you for the message that our world so needs.
Awesome! Grateful for this poem today!
?
Shadowing the Shadows
She stands tall against the wall
Of people all around her.
She puts out the call
To people all around her.
She’s younger than most
She doesn’t like to boast
When she imitates the styles
And brings up the ghosts
Of Maya and Gwen whom we love.
Of Lucille and Nikki
And Phyllis and Rita Dove.
Any will do. Don’t have to be picky.
On the steps of the capitol
She stands tall.
Showing young folks across the mall.
She’s a model for all
.
Stand tall. Heed the call.
We can be light. We can do right.
Come out of the shadows against the wall.
Stand tall and come join the fight.
Oh, Anna, this is a beautiful take on the prompt today. It’s such a great way to describe Amanda standing on the shoulders of giants. She’s shaded in the giants’ shadows, as well, and yes–
I love the challenge to “come out of the shadows”
Beautiful ode to Amanda Gorman! “Come out of the shadows against the wall.”
Ohhh Anna! My students would love this poem. They devoured Amanda Gorman’s poem and of course I immersed them in her as much as I could without it seeming to be too much. LOL. Your poem is a call to action for all of us, young and old.
Love it! Thank you!
?
Hmm… I think I interpreted the prompt differently than some. I found a pantoum I wrote a while ago and created its “shadow” – I divorced it from its strict pantoum form and found its shadow in a different kind of quatrain. The original title was “In the playroom”; the shadow title will be “Storm”
Hide
With me
Hold tight, mix memories
The storm will blow through
Fear
With me
Stay still, don’t speak
The storm will blow through
Create
With me
Come out, play again
The storm will blow through
Ananda,
I think you have a brilliant interpretation of the prompt. I love the repeated line and what it suggests about child play, which is antithetical to the adult ways. I also believe the word “shadow” offers enough ambiguity for myriad interpretations. I can envision a whole chapbook of shadow poetry about children.
—Glenda
Oh, Amanda, that is lovely. I love the pattern of the lines, and the quiet calmness that gets the child through the storm. I like that fear is invited because it is scary. then create and play again after. Beautiful.
I wonder if you have a link to the first pantoum that this shadows. I would like to see it.
Thank you! And here’s the link to the original: https://persistenceandpedagogy.com/2021/03/14/in-the-playroom-sol21-14-31/
Thank you. That is beautiful, and the poem you wrote today is a shadow of it in a beautiful way, highlighting the emotions you both felt, and your care for her.
Amanda,
You actually followed the process given whereas many of us just used “shadow” to inspire our writing. That’s the beauty of this space . . . even if the inspiration doesn’t direct us in the intended way, output is output!
I love the structure of your shadow poem; it makes me curious to read the original.
The repetition with both slight tweaks and major shifts is so powerful and tells quite a story.
Thank you – I have to remind myself not to be afraid when I write poetry. I’m so new to it & I sometimes find myself almost desperate to follow “the rules.” Here is a link to my original poem: https://persistenceandpedagogy.com/2021/03/14/in-the-playroom-sol21-14-31/
There is so much in this poem that speaks to me and my experience – and the use of the anchor words is effective, the form is engaging, and the last line is something to be repeated – you repeat, I repeat, and so I learn from you. Thank you for sharing this, Amanda.
This is beautiful! Love “Create/With me/Come out, play again.”
Seems like this is a true example of a shadow poem. I love it and particularly your last stanza with the “play” aspect. Lovely!
Amanda, I think you and I are one of a kind. I sometimes take prompts as the only way but what I love about this community of writers is there’s freedom to write whatever and however you choose. Thank you for expressing that you thought you interpreted the prompt differently because others who are new to this space may have thought the same. I’m grateful you took the challenge of writing a shadow poem of a poem you’d already written. That’s awesome.
Your last stanza could be an invitation to everyone who will one day soon feel safe to go out be free again.
I love it! Thank you!
Stacey, each line of your poem is powerful and moved me. I feel the raw emotion like it is my own.
moonlight glows
mysterious shadows
dance
I love the simplicity of your poem. While I was pondering this prompt today, I thought about how light causes shadows to appear – the relationship between light and dark is so interesting. And you showed that relationship so beautifully in these words. Thanks!
I realize that this isn’t a haiku, but it feels like a haiku because it is so evocative. I also appreciate the way that “dance” can either be read on its own or as an enjambment with “mysterious shadows.”
I love the movement within your piece. It’s a brief snapshot but incredibly visual because each word carries so much.
Simply beautiful! Very precious.
In the still
moments of
this Thursday
afternoon, I
am thinking
that, at times,
it would be
nice to be a
shadow,
comforting and
reassuring,
always having
something
between you
and the
searing
brightness.
Scott,
This is a lovely interpretation of “shadow.” The tone is comforting. It reminds me of that old Cat Stevens song “Moon Shadow.” “Searing brightness” contrasts so starkly w/ shadow. It’s my favorite part of the poem, but I really like the entire verse.
Oooh I love the position you took here – what it would be like to BE a shadow. It definitely would be nice (“at times”) to have something to protect from the “searing brightness,” whatever that brightness may be. I also love the conversational tone at the beginning of your poem. Thanks for sharing!
Your poem reminds me of the brief moments I get to walk in the open air between different parts of my campus…on cool, blustery days I like to walk off the sidewalk in the sun…on days like we’ve had this week, when it’s already too hot for March or April, I am glad to walk in the shade and find shadows for relief. I like how your poem re-imagines the role and purpose of a shadow. I have a new thought to ponder.
Scott, I love your poem and the idea of being a shadow, a shadow that comforts. Brilliant!
I’m excited for another month of #verselove…Happy Poetry Month, ya’ll!
Thank you Stacy for the model poems and prompt…I loved how you re-worked the acrostic shape and re-imagine the form.
Shadow Poem
the on-again, off-again
flirtation with my shadow
I tried to keep him,
make him stick
to my heel with soap
and black nail polish
I could never fully commit
to a permanent stitch
to a tattoo
to more than an extra ear piercing
or a few seasons of
heavy eyeliner and mascara
Edgar Allan Poe t-shirts and
skull accessories
collections of serial killer stories and
true crime podcasts
melancholic poems and
obsessions with Sylvia Plath and Tori Amos
sad, heartbreaking songs by middle-aged men and
loud, rage-filled songs by teenage girls
I keep him close enough,
my macabre beau
Betsy,
This is so clever! The allusions really direct us to that last line, “my macabre beau.” The accessories you mention—tattoos, t-shirts, skulls, etc.— echo those Plath and Poe-like shadows in us all. I think this poem really helps us know you. Love it!
—Glenda
Shadow Eclipse
The light is blocked
the darkness encompasses me
a shadow lingers
heart shrinks
beneath this gray and black
I flatten under the weight that can’t be seen
aching for the imagined
for the heaviness to float away
the blindness that exists that is not seen
heard?
asking for what can’t be heard
the shadow that stays
the darkness that won’t go away.
searching for the light
too dark
Why can’t I find her?
Where is she?
too dark
the ache for the shadow to stand next to me
Shadow, please.
Linda,
Thank you for sharing here today. Your lines “I flatten under the weight that can’t’ be seen/aching for the imagined” brings out such varied emotions through hope and despair. Your yearning for the shadow at the end continues this spectrum of emotions with a stronger glimmer of hope.
“Shadow, please.” – This final line, it’s haunting in a way that feels like an invitation to consider, to write more. When paired with “ache” in the previous line, it’s a plea…a really brilliant way to end this poem and also create ache, tension…as a reader it feels like an echo and resonates.
Shadows Before
If only we’d seen it coming, unfurling in darkness,
the blurred lines of reason
the obliteration of fact
Could we have subverted
the shattered windows, battered doors,
death?
Would we have changed course,
if we’d seen the gloom advancing?
Would we have erected concrete barriers to thwart
throngs of Proud Boy & Oath Keepers
camouflaged in army fatigues,
delusional conspiracy theorists
jacked up on propaganda steroids?
More than a glimmer, more than a shadow
this raging portent was luminous!
Yet, we did not
SEE
the shadow barreling towards us
This darkness cast its shadow long before its strike,
should have seen this impending eclipse
now the shadow
lives with us
I’ve been trying to find ways, since that day, to put my thoughts and feelings about it all – how I watched with horror and fear, anger and shame. You’ve done that so well here with lines like “the shadow barreling towards us” and “now the shadow lives with us”….it feels like we were on a collision course (and I too feel we were) and a mark, or scar, we’ll carry forever. Thank you for sharing your words!
Tami, Wow, your poem is so rich with the sense of impending doom, the inevitable destruction, and the reality that the worst is ever present. I was especially drawn to the poem’s question:
Your poem offers layers and layers of thought! Loved it!
[Stacey — I love the whole idea of messing with SHADOW as a prompt. You’ve prompted me to do several poems with this shadow idea. For right now, though, here’s one for today. Susie]
Shadow Dancing
I can see myself
with Gene Kelly’s umbrella,
on a rainbowed April afternoon,
dancing, swirling around a light pole,
flitting, leaping, stretching
to catch not rain,
but my shadow.
I dance on the curb
and sing down the sidewalk,
the front porch steps,
sashay around the newsstand,
trying my darnedest
to step on my shadow foot
and hold it in place,
so I can get a good gander
at just who I am,
but I’m not one to stand still,
lost in the umbra
on this day —
I’d rather face the sun.
by Susie Morice, April 1, 2021©
Susie,
I adore this image of you dancing w/ Gene Kelly and flitting away as you discover yourself. The poem takes me to ways I’ve “shadowed” those I admire as I search for myself. There’s a whole Jacques Lacon psychological subtext to the poem that complicates it for me.
—Glenda
Susie, one of my favorite all-time movie scenes! You capture the frivolity of it, which all comes to a standstill, albeit a brief one, with the lines, “step on my shadow foot and hold it in place, so I can get a good gander at just who I am.” But like you, the reader can’t stand there for long, and we move forward. I love the idea of facing the sun. It brings to mind Peter Pan and his shadow (and I love that your poem led me there too).
Susie, I can see the movie poster and see you In it! The joy of dancing and singing and skipping with an umbrella is a perfect way to welcome April! I love this part best:
trying my darnedest
to step on my shadow foot
and hold it in place
Susie, I was immediately captured by the imagery of Gene Kelly dancing. The active verbs and movement you create in this poem is compelling. I can just see you trying
Your end says it all and I couldn’t agree more. “I’d rather face the sun!” Such a wonderful, beautifully written poem! Awesome!
Dance, girl, dance!!!! ??????So much fun in this poem and then you danced me right to the boldness of not standing still. lost in the umbra…
That should be a book title! I would read it for sure. Love you and love your poem!
Whooohooooo!!!
?
Hi Stacey Joy! I’m excited to start this month of poetry with you and everyone here. Your poem is so powerful. I love how the letters are not in a line as typical acrostics. Makes you search for them and when you find them, you are stabbed with the realization of abuse. Powerful!
I enjoyed playing with the idioms. I want to work more on the shape and form, but here’s what I’ve got.
Becoming the shadow
of someone else’s doubt
because old sins
have long
shadows
the valley of death beckons
my former self
under the shadow of coming events
I’ll wear myself
Myself I’ll wear
Where you see me next
I’ll be there
This one you see
is the real me
No shadows here.
Margaret,
Immediately I’m drawn to “the valley of death” imagery and its allusion to Psalm 23. I’m fascinated by the inversion in “ I’ll wear myself / Myself I’ll wear.” I read it as a turning inside out. What resonates most with me is the idea a person can be the source of another’s doubt. That’s a heavy burden to bear.
—Glenda
Margaret, I love the sequence of this poem. I was particularly attracted to the idea and image of
Ending with the real self without shadow is incredibly powerful!
Thank you, Margaret! So grateful to write with you and enjoying this month with our loving community here.
Your poem’s opening reminded me of how so many of us and others live in the shadows of someone’s doubts, ultimately stifling all we can ever hope to become. Wow. The end is victorious!
?
As In
As in
the way
a memory
is a shadow
the echo
of something
not here
but def
initely there
As in
those nights a
woken by dreams
so real we rise
and stalk the
house open
curtains as
certain the moon
full check
ing each
room for the
presence of
shadows
As in the way a memory is a shadow….Ohhh! Beautiful. Pulled me right into this poem.
The memory shadow that wakes you in the night. I love the shortened lines and broken words.
I was taken by these lines:
The poem moves swiftly like those fleeting memories and shadows. The broken lines and split words–def/initely, a/woken, check/ing–make me feel like I am trying to hold on to a dream that moves too quickly or re-assemble the pieces of dream in the morning. It’s a cool effect!
Lovely comments, Betsy. I really liked King’s move to break words. The other broken word – as/certain – which offers an alternate reading. I’d like to keep trying this.
Ohhhh yes, I’m all the way in there, peeking through the curtains! Love this! The opening is POWER!
?
My Shadow
By Nancy White
If I had no shadow
Would I feel lost, incomplete?
Naked? Afraid?
Separated and searching
like a panicked Peter Pan?
For my shadow, like a reflection,
Reassures me
Consoles me
Reminds me who I am:
Part of the earth and sky,
Tethered, grounded, alive.
YES, Nancy!! You said some of the thoughts that were in my head beautifully. I love “Would I feel lost, incomplete?” and your whole second stanza. It’s a comfort to me. There, in the light, a comforting reflection. I especially love
Part of earth and sky makes the shadow real and attached and part of who we really are.
Nancy — I really like the idea of the shadow tethering you. Wonderful imagery. You and I both toyed with the “who I am” this morning. I like that poems bring us into a sort of alignment sometimes…the forces of poetic words. So cool! Thank you, Susie
I stand looking at the painting
and don’t understand
I see colors, lines, shapes
and textures
yet wonder at this art
Then, the slightest memory–
a faded image
a palette
stained fingers
a brush
hours in thoughtful motion
“Consider the light,” she whispers,
“the contrast, the tone, the subtly.”
And beauty shines in the shadows
a wreath of wilderness
at my feet
Amy,
I really love the imagery and movement in these lines: a palette/stained fingers/a brush/hours in thoughtful motion. I also enjoyed the way nature intertwines with art in this poem.
Amy, “consider the light” reminds what I think when I’m taking photos. “A wreath of wilderness/
at my feet” is beautiful imagery. Thank you.
I love the line “beauty shines in the shadows.” Art is the play of light and dark. You captured its mystery in your poem.
I love
This is gorgeous imagery. I love the “not understanding” at first becoming such a beautiful recollection.
Amy, wonderful images dance through your poem. I think it should be a painting. Love when a poem makes me see a painting. Too bad I’m not a visual artist.
?
Spring Break 2021
By Mo Daley 4-1-21
Living in the shadow of a pandemic
seems mundane now
accepted
sequestered in our germ-free Camelot
I wonder how Lady Guinevere
dealt with being trapped in a convent
Under the shadow of the Worm Moon
we snuck into the car
gleefully escaping with our laminated vaccination cards
ready to display should the need arise
we arrived to see Trout Lilies, Toothwort, and Dutchman’s Breeches blooming
casting shadows on the forest floor
we walked
we wandered
we inhaled
we slept the sleep of adventurers
we rejuvenated our souls
And as we drive north back to safety
I realize that what I thought
was 5 o’clock shadow on your face
is really a reflection of three days of peace
and I wonder what you’d look like
with a beard
I love the of movement in your poem: “we walked/ we wandered/ we inhaled/ we slept the sleep of adventurers/ we rejuvenated our souls”. I felt so much hope here, a longing fulfilled. Just perfect!
Mo,
I feel the hopefulness in this poem. We are finally seeing a light at the end of this long dark tunnel. I felt the same giddiness when I received my second vaccination. Love light heartedness and tenderness of your last stanza.
Mo, I love the connections you weaved from one shadow to the next. I especially resonated with “Trout Lilies, Toothwort, and Dutchman’s Breeches blooming” because I love finding wild spring flowers. I also resonated with, “we walked/we wandered…we rejuvenated our souls” because after my first vaccination my husband and I wandered on a beach of Champlain Lake fascinated by the sounds and beauty of the melting lake. Rejuvenation is exactly what I felt. Thank you.
Mo, I enjoyed the sense of life continuing, in even the simplest of ways. And I love the perspective on the duration of time and perhaps the hopes for a stint that is longer,
“5 o’clock shadow on your face
is really a reflection of three days of peace
and I wonder what you’d look like
with a beard.” Lovely hopes of normalcy during an abnormal time.
Mo, the shadows of age and states of relaxation and the way we see things when we really look and think about them is so compelling here – just seeing things from a different angle makes us wonder, doesn’t it!? I need that shadow of days of peace about right now..
Mo — I like how you went back to the pandemic in this poem, now a year from when we started all this. I smiled at the laminated van cards. Loved the “inhaled” …those breaths that we so closely covered all year long…and then finding, finally, a sleep that goes deep (something elusive this year). Finding “three days of peace” in your loved one’s face… oh man, yeah… the “shadow of a pandemic” is one brutal reality of these months and months of worry and uncertainty. I remember those “Dutchman’s Breeches” from when I was a little kid in the woods. I love your poem! Thank you. Susie
Mo, Mo, Mo I want MORE!!! Yesss, this is fun, erotic, and sensually appealing! I am thrilled you had the opportunity to get out and enjoy it all, especially his “5 o’clock shadow” and “three days of peace.”
In my opinion, he’d be just as handsome with a beard.
❤️
Stacey, your poem is heartbreaking and beautiful. Thank you for your words. Thank you for this prompt.
The Poet Brings Light
What poem is hiding
in the shadow?
What poem waits
in the darkness?
What wisdom, what thought, what moment,
what dream, what beauty or what loss
will be revealed
when the poet sees
the light fall
a little differently?
Your poem reminds me of my own–how light gives way to meaning. Thank you for validating my own writing experience this morning. ?
Love the idea of the poet’s perspective being drawn through poetry: “the poet sees/the light fall/ a little differently?” I can totally relate to this.
I love the last line:
The poet, like an artist, sees light fall and interprets it with words. The light creates shadows and this play of light with shadow causes us to create our own unique artistic expression. So beautiful.
Nolan, I love your questions. Great title and ending.
This is a beautiful testament to perspective – the way we all see things in a different light! I like the way you asked those questions!
Wow, this took my breath away:
I hope that my poems will speak for me when I can’t.
Lovely poem!! Thank you!
What an overwhelming stage of life.
Light stretches its rays out to shine,
but all I see are the shadows left behind.
Shadows tend to remind one
of the negative qualities that take up the mind.
They tend to drag along fear, doubt, and insecurities,
reminders of negativities that fill unconscious thoughts.
The brightest rays are the ones that reach me,
and make me look at the dark reflection on the surface.
The dimmed reflection can only hold the power one gives to it.
Active reminders fill my mind,
to ignore the dark surface and take in the shining light.
I have found my rays to be the supporting roles that hold me tight,
The powerful rays are my students, my mentors, and ones providing love with all flaws despite.
Hi Jessica! I love the shape of your poem! The message is so beautiful too. This brightened my day 🙂
Jessica,
I love the message of hope in your poem. Your last line “The powerful rays are my students, my mentors, and ones providing love with all flaws despite” really resonates with me.
Jessica, Great how the mood of your poem changes from dark to light. I love this ending “The powerful rays are my students, my mentors, and ones providing love with all flaws despite.”
Those supporting rays are the sunshine that drown out the shadows. I picture the sun peeking out from
Behind the clouds and overpowering the dark. Rich imagery!
Stacey, Thank you for starting us off this month with a heart-breaking poem and fabulous inspiration. I love your lines “out from the mirrors in her eyes/showing silent agony”–what a great juxtaposition of words and a reminder that our eyes can hide so much. Thank you for sharing.
I decided to take your prompt and go a bit more literal with my draft this morning.
“My little (growing up too fast) shadow”
breaking off
holding on
a pinky of a promise
hand hold
a side hug
an endearment
without eye contact
branching
bleeding
away
an afternoon shadow
the further you reach
on your own path
still relishing in our bond
of course
you can shave
your hair like mine
wear my old
concert sweatshirt
to school
borrow my earrings
layer in my entire closet
ask me anything
tell me anything
just don’t break off
hold on
Dr. Boutelier,
I loved the imagery you brought to us. I couldn’t help thinking about how fast my little ones have grown. The old cliche is so very true. If we could only pull the reins on time.
Stefani,
Of course, children are shadows, children shadow. Your poem reminds me of the literal ways a shadow shifts direction, changes size, as the sun rises and falls, as we turn, too. My favorite image is the interlocked pinky fingers. That one melts my heart.
—Glenda
Hi Stefani,
Like me, you seem to have been inspired by Rosamund King’s and Stacey’s short lines – the ways in which the line breaks isolate and emphasize words. I love the final quatrain of your poem.
//david
Stefani — Yes! I am right there with you on this one as my youngest child (I have 3) will be moving to high school next year. I really felt your last stanza: “ask me anything/tell me anything/just don’t break off/hold on”. As parents who want our children to be independent, holding on to the relationship and yearning to be needed is the one thing we cling to the most.
As I watch my young ones walk around the house wearing my shoes, I see their future through your words, and empathize with the emotion as a mother. Thank you sharing your poem.
Stefani, so beautiful. I resonate with this because soon my “pinky of a promise” will be moving across the country. Great ending “just don’t break off/hold on.”
Stefani, this growing up is so bittersweet! It reminds me of ABBA’s song Slipping Through My Fingers, with the imagery of a daughter growing up way too fast! Such sweet memories today.
Awww Stefani, this is so precious. My heart goes out to parents right now, especially those who have young adults that are eager to leave the nest and be independent during a time like this past year. I can’t imagine how the pandemic also has added another layer of “shadowy” neediness. Hang on tight to your little shadow! Even if it’s a little distant as you so cleverly wrote:
?
Our sun standing high in the sky
Searching to recognize everything and all
Greedily I consume life that you give
Nothing left for the earth beneath
Nothing left for sacrifice
Nothing left for sweat
Nothing left for isolation
Nothing left for creation
Motivation
At the moment of fertilization
My growth is your suffocation
Concealing my envy by concealing your bloom
While living in the eternal spotlight
Eric,
I read this twice w/ two different take-aways. I’m going w/ the ecological ethic that resonates throughout the poem and thinking about the way human domination shadows all other life, which I think you capture by repeating “nothing.” I appreciate the cynical tone.
—Glenda
Eric,
Thank you for sharing! My favorite lines are “at the moment of fertilization/my growth is your suffocation”–it’s a life/death conundrum, and gets me thinking when does the cycle end?
Hi Eric, what a moving poem that begs us all to be kinder and more gentle to our sun and earth. I love this:
And the final line is BRILLIANT!
?
Dear Stacey,
WOW! What a prompt. Excellent, my friend. Love the mentor text and your poem responding to it. I appreciate the way you embrace your story and share honest reflections. It inspires me.
*All words are spelled as I’ve chosen to spell them.
son shadow
his shadow
hovered
covered
shaded &
spread its
canopy
across
stunted older
saplings thus
eclipsed
opaque
invisible
her silhouette—
umbra
penumbra
antumbra—
moved
distanced
sonspot
contours
—glenda funk
April 1, 2021
Glenda, I love that you’ve delved into umbra and its variations, along with the play on sun spots. The entire piece is positioned like a sapling and the woman in the shadows, stunted – so very interesting. Lots to think upon here.
Hi, Glenda — That’s a mighty list of words ….many crossed my own mind this morning…thinking about this shadow business. I particularly like how the first several lines give life to the shadow image…it moves. Then, the move into the analysis of what the shadow can do by eclipsing other bits of the image. That word – eclipsed — that’s a power word for sure and it lays a path to “distanced.” Fascinating to just think about this poem’s word choices. Thank you! Susie
I love this poem, picturing that big boy hovering over his little mama. I learned some new words too. How did I not know all those eclipsy shadow words–umbra, etc. I just went on a little science search. It’s a beautifully-shaped poem too.
Wow, Glenda! I like the tall, long, looming visual structure of this poem, like a shadow often is. With three sons of my own, I am finding this very rich with each reading – and those last four words, especially,
moved
distanced
sonspot
contours
Older saplings this eclipsed and sonspot resonate with me today and I love the feeling of height I. The shape of your poem –
Like a growing tree/son/shadow! The feeling of time passing and someone growing up! Love it.
Glenda, I am so intrigued by your poem. The nature and familial imagery offer layers to be pulled back to examine more closely. I am particularly moved by the use of “son” as it offers a more complex interpretation. The weight of how shadows and others shape or further shape us resonates for me. Beautiful poem!
Hi Glenda, thank you! I appreciate you. Wow, this poem speaks to me! I call my son “Sonshine” and now I can see the beauty of sonspot. Your words couldn’t have been any better. Again, I love learning from you too! (penumbra, antumbra…I need you to teach science for me when we study earth, sun, and moon!)
Thank you! ?
I love this prompt, Stacey! I was tempted to do something darker in mood, but instead decided to explore the good things that come out of shadows.
Hide and Seek
Knees to chest
Breaths confined
Learn to pulse
Inhale
Exhale
Be small
Be silent
Lest they find
My fabric haven
Cotton veil
Shirts are draped
On racks above
Unseen fingers
Touch the bar
Cold and black
From absent light
Unreached by rays
From Heaven’s star
A sort of peaceful
Isolation
Exists here in
Little ways
I like to wait
Here in the dark
Unbothered by
The light of day
Shylynn, your playful use of shadows makes me think of Peter Pan. I appreciate how you wrap up at the end with the lines “unbothered by/the light of day”–this too has a playful take on the sun and shadows. thank you for sharing.
Shylynn,
I live the idea of “peaceful isolation.” You’ve painted a lovely word picture of your hiding place. This reminds me of my form days long ago.
—Glenda
Shylynn, This brought me right back to childhood, the joy of hiding, enjoying the dark aloneness, while life goes on all around. It’s a magical feeling.
Shylynn — You took me right back to my kid days when we played a game called Sardines… a hide and seek sort of craziness. I had very similar images (knees to check; haven; cold and black; peaceful/isolation; wait/Here in the dark) — perfect memory for me. Thank you! Susie
Thank you Shylynn for bringing a lighthearted play of hide-n-seek to this prompt. It opens my senses to participating and being the one hiding within the shadows, enjoying the moment I’ve been given.
Shylynn, so precious. This reminds me of teaching our little girls how to play Hide and Sneak and the excitement of playing it with them.
Shylynn, you have captured a beautiful childhood moment here with hiding in this much-loved game. I love the “peaceful isolation” you explore at the end. Well done with the prompt.
Shylynn, I would sooooo love to hide there! It sounds like a safe and sacred space. I love it! Thank you for sharing the fun of the darkness. Reminds me of when I was about 6 and would hide in a laundry closet on the top shelf to READ. LOL I wonder if I had a flashlight. ?
Shylynn, how comforting this memory is of being “unseen,” “unreached,” “unbothered.” Thank you.
Stacey, thank you for this thought-provoking prompt, and thank you for sharing your poem. I love the image you paint of the women who goes unseen by the world – that really spoke to me.
My poem is inspired by the phrase “wear yourself to a shadow” because that’s how I’m feeling.
I sit here,
drained
of my energy
my lifeforce,
trying to find a way
to keep going,
to make things happen,
to prove myself worthy.
I tell myself I don’t have a choice.
Rest will come when I have
earned it—
or it will come
when I can’t ignore
the need anymore.
Christine, a powerful lesson on self-preservation in the form of a poem. I’m sure all of us in this space need to make sure we take some time to ourselves every so often. I love the rhyme in your last lines. TAKE CARE!
Christine,
Your poem speaks to the zeitgeist of the moment: “drained….trying to find a way to keep going.” This will resonate with many. Hang on!
—Glenda
Christine, I really enjoyed this! Your poem’s whole “I can’t go on….I must go on” sensibility, for me, has a total _Waiting for Godot_ energy to it! (And Beckett is my jam! Do people still say that? Did they ever? Lol.) This [gesturing to everything in the world just now] is hard, so thank you for writing this!
Christine, I can really relate to your poem in this pandemic world. I found these powerful lines especially moving “drained/of my energy/my lifeforce,/trying to find a way/to keep going.”
Christine, I hadn’t heard that “wear yourself to a shadow.” before today. It’s a great image, and you have created a great poem showing how you are feeling worn to a shadow. All the best finding that rest. You have earned it, so go ahead and take it.
Oh Christine, how I love the transparency in your poem. I hope you get to rest BEFORE it’s forced. My family and I always say if you ignore the rest your body needs, your body will force you to listen. We push ourselves far beyond normal limits, so know you’re not alone. Maybe just start with 20 minute naps?? The Nap Ministry on IG and Twitter is encouraging to those who seek to find rest.
Thank you for sharing!
?
Happy Poetry Month Everyone! 🙂 Thank you for sharing such powerful poems with us, Stacey. Such creativity. I really respect the changes you made to your acrostic. The “divorced” form really matches with the subject.
I recently visited Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh – the shadows all over the beach and many other things amazed me.
Shadows at Cox’s Bazar
On the longest beach
in the world
boys walk on water
Shadows of boys
walk upside down
under water.
Do their shadows
create darkness
or show them light?
On the longest beach
In the world
A shaded reflection
in the sand.
Your bodily mirror
moves with you.
Does your shadow
create darkness
or show you light?
On the longest beach
In the world
I’m 33
and still mesmerised
by the familiar darkness.
My shadow does not
create darkness;
it shows me light.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LozhXC0qUbEGsx3ucb-zZl9fTLuSQX2a/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O-Lo8lcaVp0LOdql1hXQ_3mU7ar0MZBQ/view?usp=sharing
Oh, I love the repetition and the mirror of the boys upside down. Love how this shows the poet light!
Hi Angie, I love the question you pose with your poem. I tend to think of my shadow as the darkness, but even still it shows me the light that’s there, and that’s so important to remember. I also really love the phrase “you bodily mirror that moves with you” – it reminds me of being a kid and pretending my shadow was an imaginary friend – my shadow was definitely showing me light as a child. Thank you for sharing this!
Angie, I love that I am able to read this poem more than once (before viewing the images and then again after, with all the more awareness it brings). I’m drawn to the spirituality in the first reading (boys walking on water, shadows walking under water. It feels mystical and grounded in this holy week. Thank you for playing with the idea of shadows bringing light, too.
Angie, the lines “does your shadow create darkness or show you light,” is breathtaking. I also loved the repetition!
Angie,
I love the repeated questions and your final answer in the last stanza. I have an image of this beach. Wonderful images you’ve shared as inspiration.
—Glenda
I love the repetition and the answer to the question. This is lovely.
This interplay of light and darkness and the use of your repeating line creates vivid imagery and rippled reflection. Stunning!
Angie, I adore the pictures you shared to accompany your beautiful poem. I love the idea of looking at the light that is obviously present when we look at shadows and so typically only see the darkness. Perfect!
?
Today I was inspired by my catholic faith. When looking around the room for shadow inspiration, I instantly remembered a shadow that I’ve seen many times in the halls of our building. The shadow of a cross. With Easter coming this Sunday, and the holiest part of our liturgical year beginning this evening, this poem seemed very fitting.
Shadow of Love
Morning sun casts a shadow
Upon the sand and rock
Tall, strong, steady
It stands
An instrument of torture
Resolute pieces of pine
Wood carefully positioned
Destined to fulfill the mission
Upon it
A man
In anguish yet divine
The sun shifts
The shadow reflects the awkward position
Knees bent, arms spread wide
A head crowned with thorns
Shadows
of a structure that gripped a body
that spoke forgiveness
that granted salvation
A shadow of death, yet
Of life
A shadow
cast upon the world
Of faith.
Of hope.
Of love.
Jenny, I can visualize this very cross. The shift of light to use the shadow as emphasis strengthens that visual. I am drawn to the lines, “wood carefully positioned/Destined to fulfill the mission.” This writing is very much about finding a sense of place.
Jenny, wonderful description in your Easter poem. I love these lines especially – the repetition is very meaningful:
Happy Easter!
I have similar memories of crosses through my life and places I’ve lived. How wonderful that this poem ends on the word, “love.”
All I can say is, Thank You God for Your Indescribable Gift. Shadows of Love that brings Light to the world. Your poem is worded perfectly. “A shadow of death, yet Of life”
Jenny,
This is a beautiful tribute to the Easter season and your faith. As I read your intro, I thought, of course cathedrals are full of shadows and iconography.
—Glenda
In The Shadow of Addiction
After the first sip
then the next and the next and the next
fear and anxiety worn like a cloak
oh that it was of invisibility
Prayers sent up
waiting and hoping and waiting and hoping and
Be. Ever. So. Quiet.
Do. Not. Awaken. The. BEAST
Hide yourself away from ITS distorted view
Behind closed doors
Cover-ups
Excuses, Excuses, Excuses
In The Shadow of Addiction
EVERYONE suffers the shame
Donnetta, the beginning of your piece mimics the ease into addiction – just a sip at first, and then that repetition (and, and, and). I like your play on the cloak of invisibility as well as the punctuation used in the center, being ever so quiet – I could feel it, breath stopped, the waiting for IT to go away.
Donnetta, this poem is so powerful. I reread the lines “fear and anxiety worn like a cloak/oh that it was of invisibility” multiple times. Those lines stick. Thanks for sharing this.
Donetta I really love all the textual features you have added in this poem. CAPS, one word sentences. Those along with the heavy repetition do justice to the disease. Thanks for sharing.
Oh, my goodness…do not awaken the beast. What a strong poem that describes so well.
Donetta, this is a very powerful poem. I love how there are so many aspects of your poem that serve as “cover-ups” or items that hide the addiction like a shadow keeps things darkened/hidden. You do this with the cloak, closed doors, cover-ups, etc. I also love your use of CAPS throughout the poem as they add emphasis to these words that hold so much power. Thanks for sharing this with us all today.
Donnetta,
This is such a powerful, heartbreaking poem. Those last two lines are everything.
There’s such visceral truth in these lines.
Donnetta – Oh yes, these sensations
are so very real. You put “shadow” to work with this poem. It really speaks truth. “Everyone suffers the shame.” Too true. Thank you for sharing such a visceral account of the feelings here. Susie
Donetta, friend! We know the prayers, don’t we? The shadows here for me are the trenches where my daughter once lurked – and today she is recovering still, three years sober this June. The excuses, the invisibility – but God is bigger and we rejoice in her reformation! What true words you bring today as we think of shadows in our lives. Thank you for sharing.
Donnetta,
This is the kind of poem that should be shared with those who work with people who are in treatment and their families. I thought about this part for a long time. It reminded me of children watching parents who suffer from addiction and experience the abuse:
Praying that those involved can get the help needed. My heart is close to this pain.
??
Stacey, your prompt goes straight for the heart today – your poem sparks memories of shadows and echoes these tornadoes and damaging winds here in my corner of Georgia over the past week. I’m
standing with you, rising from the ashes of those broken piles of suffering. In losing, we won! I tried a few marks of punctuation like in the mentor poem, too! Thank you for bringing us into this space of healing and friendship today!
2005: The Lying, Cheating Fool’s Day
once hidden:
in the shadows
of the phone bill
between the unknown numbers
and private calls
under the cloak of darkness
in a back seat
behind the bowling alley
then exposed:
truth spotlight
on a cockroach ~
legs scrambling ~
panicked antennae ~
backed into a corner ~
nowhere to hide
now shrouded in shame:
all the careful-what-you-wish-fors
came true in an
inescapable twist of fate
where the winner ?
wasn’t you
Oh, I feel this deeply. Dropping this poem today makes for a perfect title. The imagery captures it all – the cockroach with panicked antennae backed into the corner – such a strong visual! Your use of shadowed actions hidden in phone bills – that first stanza is wow.
Your word choice is excellent. I love “truth spotlight” and how it connects to “nowhere to hide”.
Oh, my goodness…this poem might need a trigger warning! That panic is too familiar. Yikes! What a knife cut of a poem.
THE END OF THIS POEM. The last stanza is so well-written. I love the question slashed in half. Thanks for sharing.
Wow!! Your poem reminds me of the words, “What’s done in the dark will come to the light.”
“once hidden:” – “then exposed:” ~ These lines say so much in very few words.
Oh my goodness Kim, this is so powerful. So many great lines of imagery here. I was especially drawn to the cockroach backed into a corner, showing that even the smallest creatures living among us are affected in HUGE ways. Also, to end the poem with the question “where the winner/wasn’t you” it’s like a blow to the chest. It keeps you thinking afterward, who was the winner? I love that!
Kim,
That series of prepositional phrases in the first stanza emphasizes the pervasiveness of cheating, until the sunlight exposes the “cockroach.” The question mark is a perfect, ambiguous marker. And I love the biting tone.
—Glenda
Kim, what a creative way to use shadows. This poem holds so much power and I love the layout of it. Thank you for this share!
Oh, Kim — You really hammered this one! Whoof! Perfect title. The cockroach of it is so doggone perfect. You marched me right into some identical moments.
Whoof, get’s me all riled up! Terrific and raw! I really appreciate this poem, my friend! Really! Susie
Kim, Kim, Kim!!! I, too, had a foolish cockroach in my life! LOL. Whew, you hit the nail on the head. This is powerful, shouts the pain, but also the victory for YOU!
Thank you, my friend!
?
Stacey, the power in your words, which stems from pain, is a testament to strength and survival. I am moved by the beauty of your words that blossom despite the ugliness at their root. I am truly unable to pick a favorite part as the entirety speaks to me. The idea of hiding in pretty boxes and colorful envelopes to give destruction a secret way out – wow! Thank you for this piece today.
i move in shadows
my preferred space
a ghost of myself
present
but not
witness
understudy
ghost writer
ghost
dusted from stars
just off to the side
never center stage
i was reminded recently
that the dark side
of the moon
isn’t dark
it’s a preference
oooooh, that last line. The idea of preferring shadows. I want more of this story.
Jennifer, I’m trying to remember if we’ve ever connected with poems before. It must be you, because this sounds like me. Anyway, thank you. I am comfortable in “shadows”. I love that you have described it as “preferred” and “a preference”.
Jennifer, I really relate to your poem. I, too, “move in shadows” and it’s my preference! I love how you take something that’s often viewed in darkness and made it something light and positive. I also appreciate your choice to remove punctuation and capitalization, because I feel like it speaks to some of the why behind your poem as well. Thank you for sharing this today.
Jennifer,
I feel as though I’m reading about my own life in your poem. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how “I move in shadows.” There’s a universal quality here, and that reminded this is a choice at the end is perfect. Love it all.
—Glenda
Hi Jennifer and thank you for your comments on my poem. You have ushered me into a sacred space with your poem. The opening immediately pulled me in:
Wondering how much we ALL really crave the dark side. So intriguing. Thank you!
?
Jennifer — I love the mastery in the voice in this poem. The strength you give to the chosen shadow space is, indeed, beautiful like the moon. (especially a couple night ago!) Reminding us that “the dark side/of the moon/isn’t dark” is so important… beauty in the softness of that. Lovely! Strong! The final line assuring us with a sort of “so there!” Thank you for another thought-filled poem. Susie
Jennifer, I resonate with “i move in shadows/my preferred space/a ghost of myself.” This winter it was all I could do. Powerful poem.
Jennifer, oh this last line is just perfect! It’s like the book Quiet – reminds me that not everyone wants to be center stage. Some of us prefer the quiet corners of a room or the dark side of the moon.
Stacey, that re-write is amazing. I love how the lines are broken in unexpected places and the abused woman is hidden in the poem. Very strong, stark and beautiful. Wow!
I took a poem that captivated me last month: Wind, Water, Stone BY OCTAVIO PAZ. TRANSLATED BY ELIOT WEINBERGER
for Roger Caillois: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/58334/wind-water-stone
and played with the literal idea of shadow. Here are the first two stanzas. Happy Poetry Month, friends!
Sun, Earth, Moon
Earth draws moon
Sun dazzles earth
Moon bows to sun
Sun, earth moon.
Sun shines on moon
Moon’s a pearl of earth
Earth swallows sun
Moon, sun, earth
Linda, I love this! The intertwining of the three objects, so simply woven together, creates impact through the minimalism. I keep re-reading how the three spheres play with each other, finding patterns (the summed words: middle, first, last words start the lines of the stanzas, for example). So cool.
I love the cyclical nature of your poem, Linda. Thanks for sharing your inspiration also.
Linda,
Both your poem and the inspiration poem echo our interdependence and the cyclical nature of our world. Your poem is very satisfying and calming.
—Glenda
Hi Linda, thank you. I appreciate your response to my poem. Your poem sings of an introduction or even a conclusion to a fun science unit on earth, moon, and sun! I love it. My favorite part is:
Fun poem! I think it would also be accompanied by a gorgeous watercolor painting!
?
Linda,
Thanks for taking us to that great poem by Octavio Paz. The moon entered my poem also, I guess because we’re just a few days past the full moon. I’ve been getting up in the morning and going out to get the paper (yup, still there) and looking yup at the moon in the western sky, “a pearl of earth” casting its eerie shadows.
Salut, david
Reading your poem, I am reminded of a celestial game of “rock-paper-scissors.” It’s playful and meditative. It makes we want to skip rope or play hand clapping games.
Linda, the solar and lunar cycles circling the sun are definitely at play and we can feel the movement of the changing of positions in your poem today – creating shadows! Makes me think of leapfrog and having fun!
Stacey Joy! It’s so wonderful to be in this loving, healing space with you! April sustained me last year during the stay-at-home order, and I seem to need this just as much now, a year later!!
Thank you for this incredible inspiration. I know that I will come back to it and “use” it the way it’s meant to be used, but my mind and heart went in a different direction this morning (likely the result of Holy Thursday’s imprint on this Catholic girl’s guilt).
I hate that I love your poem because I know that it’s rooted in such pain. But, your words capture that pain magnificently. I love the true shadow of it with the acrostic hidden within it. Wow. I keep re-reading to find my favorite morsel, but my eye keeps coming back to
“dried Unseen by the world.”
Here’s my poem, which is NOT a shadow poem but just inspired by the concept of the shadow:
Sin’s Shadow
my sin
my shame
is a shadow
with me all the time
the brighter sun the shines
the more my shadow clings
the closer the light is to me
the longer the shade becomes.
i often prefer to live in the dark
in the absence of light
the dark reflection
hidden from view
of all the others
yet always
with
me.
~Susan Ahlbrand
1 April 2021
Susan, Good Maundy Thursday to you. I love that you took the sacredness of this week to your poem. I find that difficult to do. Your poem is so personal…but wow what universal thoughts! “wanting to live in the darkness, the clinging shadows.” Brava.
Susan, as a fellow Catholic, I understand the guilt and am drawn to your first three lines – my sin/my shame/is a shadow. You share a preference for the dark with me (we’ve hit upon a similar theme today). The structure of your poem functions as a shadow as well, you begin small and slowly grow before fading away again.
“The dark reflection hidden from view” – YES. I was playing around with this idea for a while earlier. I like how your poem and Jennifer’s poem both contain this idea of preferring the “dark”. Thanks for sharing!
Susan, as a Christian, your poem resonates with me ever so much. We are born into sin and it is “with [us] all the time”. Your poem also reminds me that in the Shadow of the Almighty there is forgiveness and grace. Thank you for sharing this poem and reminder.
Susan, I love the life-like qualities that your shadow holds. I love the power this poem holds.
Thank you for the share!
Susan,
Your poem does shadow your faith, or your faith shadows your poem. Have you read “Angela’s Ashes”? Catholicism plays an important role in Frank McCourt’s memoir. I’ve often said only Catholics out guilt Baptists.
The physical layout of your poem reminds me of a hill, perhaps Golgotha.
—Glenda
Hi Susan and thank you for the joy you’ve shared in this greeting! I am captivated by the shape of your poem as much as its contents! Wow, such a powerful piece! I, as a Christian, completely related to your sin and shame being shadows
“with me all the time…”
Thank you for sharing the light and the darkness! We all need this balance in our lives.
?
Susan, what a beautiful time to write about feelings of sin at Easter – the whole reason for Good Friday and Easter! Beautiful forgiveness rising on
Easter in your poem!