Tangible Shadow

By TropicalSnowstorm

The echo of her presence keeps me company
like a tangible shadow might lean against the wall
and refuse to be restricted to a two-dimensional world.

I can feel the horizon move beneath my feet between
black and purple as the hands of the wind pull stained
clouds over its face, hinting it is quite tired of looking
at me pace through its realm while I daydream.

“Okay, I’m leaving Â…but you said ‘make yourself
at home,' how was I to know you didn’t really mean it?”

“No one really means it, trust me.”

Halfway down the spiral staircase is a wooden
heart propped against a stone fence, a couple of
cracks in the surface serving as peep holes.

I’m not sure if the eyes peering through belong
to your lingering absence or my relentless
introspection, but either way I feel your perfume
brushing the specks of slight resolve from my face.

“You knew it wasn’t really me Â…no matter how much
you tried to squint and justify it, you should have kept walking.”

“Yeah, true, but is it really cheating to sleep with your shadow?”

-- Steve McKennon, 10/25/05

Unauthorized Copying Is Prohibited. Ask the author first.

Published on Tuesday, November 1, 2005. Filed under: "Poetry"

Awards

April 28th, 2014

Comments on "Tangible Shadow"

On Thursday, March 12, 2015, Dismalmind (27) wrote:

I'll keep the echoing of the tangible shadow from your work, excellent!
A former member wrote: ahhhh..the memory, the ache, the eventful and unavoidable power of what we are missing in our arms......but still clinging violently on the walls of our hearts.. . . always loved your writes; forgive me for not commenting when i should. happy new year~
On Wednesday, December 10, 2008, Leith Plunkett (239) wrote:

The words floated on a summer breeze.(as the hands of the wind pull stained clouds over its face) To die for.
On Thursday, April 13, 2006, Equinox Asylum (140) wrote:

Wonderful. I am finding new life here.
A former member wrote: damn...this ...this is tempting. I am salivating Steve, truely i wish you would post more to read from this inspiration
On Sunday, December 25, 2005, NikesRain (1298) wrote:

this slipped easy and familiar into the heart, like a fine needle smooth and quiet ....made my heart ache and sigh with contemplation and reflection ... great write
On Sunday, December 11, 2005, Mistress Shadow (252) wrote:

I wonder if loving a shadow is better than loving a dream. Excellent work. ~T
On Friday, November 18, 2005, diavolessa (208) wrote:

a love to make us blind, blind enough to love a shadow...it's poetry as such that brings me back to this place, and I thank you dearly for it.
On Monday, November 14, 2005, antiScripsony (30) wrote:

When the smaller bits are quality-dense, they're just as good as the whole.
On Monday, November 7, 2005, manywalks (750) wrote:

This breathes across the soul, warm and silent. ~ mw
On Wednesday, November 2, 2005, GothicBlack (186) wrote:

WOW! OMG! its YOU! lol. i haven't seen work from you, TS, in SOOOO long, i was starting to wonder if you were still alive. It's nice to see old familar faces in this see of poetry. And what poetry you write. To sleep with your shadow, beautiful. ~gothic~
On Thursday, November 3, 2005, TropicalSnowstorm (1703) wrote:

Hey! So nice to see your comment, I'm glad to see your familiar face too!
On Wednesday, November 2, 2005, Err0r (365) wrote:

Wow. This was amazing. I think personally It's just masturbation if you're with your shadow. Nice.
A former member wrote: ""Yeah, true, but is it really cheating to sleep with your shadow?"" DAMN! This is so beyond wonderful that I can only think of one thing to say, and I've already yelled it. DAMN! Beautifully breaking piece. *Evangel*