Skip to main content

My Shadow Walked Away From Me


My shadow walked away from me
I saw it go away and I said nothing
Hoping that it would return
After a brief, lonely, sojourn
Return to make the same moves as me
In a hope to attract it back
I tried standing in a lambent light
Then I stood in the bright summer sun
It wouldn’t come back in any way
Neither black or grey
Or to darken any colour underneath me
Whatever I did it would not come back
To stand before, beneath or behind me
I turned on a table lamp
Hoping not to frighten it away
The softer light I vainly hoped
May coax my shadow back
I stood waiting for hours
It did not appear
As I switched off the lamp
I thought I saw it fleetingly
It was but my cat curious of me
Now how can I leave the house
Without someone else to shadow me
Without my shadow to follow me
Or walk ahead or behind as he often did
His legs joined mine at the feet
His arms joined my arms
His fingers joined mine in every small action
His head turned and nodded
Just like me
One day I hope he will return
So we can walk together
Once more again in harmony.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Protein Man of Oxford Street- Stanley Owen Green.

I wrote this Obituary piece for The Guardian about Stanley Green while I was an undergraduate at Goldsmiths' College.  I contacted The Guardian and asked them if I could submit it for publication. It was sent off to them and I waited in eager anticipation for their reply. It was published on Wednesday January 26th 1994,   the Editor  made no changes or additions except by adding some photographs (the photographs used here are later additions by me): "A Consuming Passion.... Stanley Owen Green who has died aged aged 78, was that tall thin man with steel-rimmed glasses who marched it seemed for an eternity up and down London's Oxford Street. It was his banner that made him famous, held high above his head and proclaiming "LESS LUST FROM PROTEIN" in large white letters. Underneath the banner he endured the taunts of sticky schoolchildren and the spittle of office workers alike, to bring his unique, indeed puzzling message to the people of London. He later wate...

The Great Barnsley Invasion

The Quest for Pluvium                   A fter 2.7 billion galactic years of warring with each other over vital minerals and the depleting supply of Pluvium in the unknown universe, the Venusians and Martians decided that they would join forces and invade a distant black hole called Cambria. Pluvium powered and defined all the civilisation of both the planets, without it both planets would die as their life support systems failed. One grain of Pluvium was as precious as a Venusian princess or prince. Martian prince’s and princesses were a different matter, they were worth a mine of Pluvium. No one knows why this difference persisted. Perhaps it was because Martian Prince's and Princesses had multiple breeding orifices unlike regular Martians who had to apply to the government to breed and install an orifice. The spoils of this grand invasion would be shared equally between the two planets. They hoped that the other would stick to this com...

Behind You Something Stands

Behind you something stands. Whilst you are reading these words you are not paying attention to what is going on around you. Someone or something could be and probably is standing behind you or in front of you and you wouldn’t notice. Your gaze is on this page, your attention is on this page, reading these words. In some corner somewhere near you a threat to your safety is lurking. While you are focussed on this page plans are being made to harm you in some way. Those plans may take fruition when your regard is on these words that are holding your attention. These words are holding you rapt and vulnerable to harm. At night the risks are greater to you, for there are now darkened places, shadows, for them to hide waiting to strike. In a place well known to you a spirit lurks that means you harm. They will be sharp of tooth and claw and waiting for your attention to wane from thinking that they are there.  They are there, do not doubt that for one moment. No one knows what they loo...