Night Shadows

 

Night is that shadow 

without a moon; 

the sun has slipped 

over the horizon

to lands I cannot see. 

Even the sounds of 

the night are changed. 

Bird song is muted, 

Wind whispers around 

corners and down streets. 

Traffic avoids the rush 

and splash of the day.

Curtains pulled against 

the cold soften sounds

outside and in. The creaks 

of the building settling 

for the night tells me 

that I’m not the only 

one showing my age,

“It was the possibility of darkness that made the day seem so bright.”

~ Stephen King, novelist

The Season of 'Always'

Where is it?

 This day that has flown by, 

Christmas celebrations now past

til next year? 

Memories stored until 

they all meld together in 

the season of ‘always’?

It becomes a candle 

to shine in shadowed memory.

“ ‘Always’ is a good word to believe in.”

 Susan Abulhawa, Mornings in Jenin

Sepia Shadows

Sinking into sleep, 

where all ambient noise 

ambles away 

where sepia shadows 

ease into dreamland,

body and mind flow gently

into the softness of sleep.

“Sleep’s what we need. It produces an emptiness in us 

into which sooner or later energies flow.”

~  John Cage, M: Writings ’67 - ‘72

Special Shadows

People come to us 

with their stories, 

tapestries woven 

in the glare of success, 

the brilliance of achievement, 

the dank, darkness of grief, 

ordinary days ~

lost in the shuffle,

while stitch by stitch

in clarity or fog

we are the people who come…. 

“You write your life story by the choices you make.”

~ Helen Mirren

Beautiful Shadows

There is always a horizon surrounding me,

when the world is too big 

so full of distractions,

gathering bright shiny things

that blind me to my focus

When I choose to slow my dance, 

the world is only a moment and

I’ll see the flowers along my path,

remembering my grandmother's gardens ~ 

all my horizons become beautiful shadows.

“The eye is always caught by light, but shadows have more to say.”

~ Gregory Maguire, novelist

Out of the Shadows

Out of the Shadows

“Midnight on the bridge. Come alone.” Jock found the note taped to his computer. He laughed and brushed it aside. Mike must have put one of the secretaries up to this. While he finished up the days entries, he thought about his so called buddy. Did he really think I’d fall for something that juvenile? The cute little heart in the corner? I’m passed all of that. So I haven’t had a day off in over a year. I barely have time to sleep anymore. Four jobs just to keep body and soul together. I should be mad at him

~~~~~

He loosened his tie and then tightened it again. The mirror couldn’t tell him which was better. Jock hadn’t been able to make a decision about what to wear. Not that he had much of a wardrobe. Casual for work. Suit and tie for going out. He had two good sweaters for work. The navy one was clean. Even his mother approved of it when he wore it to Sunday dinners. When he put it with his other clean shirt and his red tie, she said he looked ‘well turned out’. He grimaced at the thought ‘There’s my boy and so well turned out. Now straighten your tie.’ At the thought, he loosened his tie. “If she knew what I was about to do, she’d probably send me to my room. Or at least try to.

~~~~~

And now here he was, hiding behind a large bush in the park, the smell of hydrangeas and roses softening the night. Bright lights from the city lit up the park, throwing long shadows across the bridge. Rustling in the dark bushes made him uneasy. The park was often home to the homeless at night. Had he disturbed someone? Mike’s note was a fake, just to see if he’d show up. Jock was about to turn and leave when he heard a sob. And then ~“@#$@#% ~ That mean, stupid *%^&*%^! He’s probably two feet away laughing at me. Well, I’ll show him!” The bushes parted violently, leaves torn from their branches. “You! What are you doing here?!”

“Brenda?! What are you doing here?” Jock was almost whispering. Brenda was not. “I could ask you the same thing, Jock. What are you doing here? I got a message to come here alone at midnight. Well it’s after midnight, there’s no one even on the bridge. That’s why I’m hiding here ~ to see if anyone would even show up on the stupid bridge.” As tough as Brenda sounded, Jock could see tears glistening in her lovely eyes. Softly he said “I got the same note Bren. Look.” He pulled the wrinkled note from his pants pocket.

~~~~~

There wasn’t anything to do in the park after midnight, and only one all night coffee shop open in the city’s central core. It was diner fare and the coffee wasn’t the best, but Jock and Brenda decided that they needed to talk. Over an early morning breakfast of crispy fried eggs and soggy waffles, they plotted and laughed.

“Sometimes a Cupid plays hard to catch

as he always got new couples to match.”

~ Ana Claudia Antunes, author

Author’s note: Another writing exercise <writingexercises.co.uk> 

The exercise: Random dialogue: “Midnight on the bridge. Come alone.” This is the second draft of this story. The first was handwritten and completely stream of consciousness. When I was transcribing it an hour later, there was a sudden and unplanned name change! ‘Sam’ became ‘Jock’. Sam’s story fizzled out. Jock had an entirely different story to tell. I know, always blame it on the characters!

Shimmers

Magical and mysterious  ~

words that do not fit with realism, 

cold and sharp edged, 

except when shimmering in shadows

that lean away from the light

“…disbelief in magic can force a poor soul into 

believing in government and business….”

~ Tom Robbins, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

On a Morning Walk - Wake

Simply in front of me ~

cold beauty

drawn by sleek ducks

shadowed from low morning sun.

“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”

~ Anne Frank

Nature's Sight Lines

Lengthening shadows

laid down by trees ~

back lit by the setting sun ~

sight lines sketched on the land.

“Some shadows are so long, they arrive before the light.”

~ Terry Pratchett Soul Music

April's Return

Sun shining bright

Snows draining away

Shadows stretch long

Sun returned to our days.

“Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.”

~ Rainer Maria Rilke

Shadows and Sunrise

Curtains pulled aside ~ Wrapped in a peach pink shawl early morning light peeked in from between a pastel leafy shrub and the sharp outline of the staid apartment across the street. In a moment, morning’s shawl faded to gauzy white, sunshine now shining on the 

green gold leaves outside my window. 

As morning brightened, faint shadows of the rounded pastel leaves paint briefly on white walls, splash across furniture until they too were gone like shadowy memories that smile and wave from my mind ~ brief glimpses into the past. Memories that disappear as quickly as the beautiful peach pink shawl of morning. 

There is always a promise that they will reappear at some time and 

in some place to brighten a sleepy morning, reminding me 

that memories are like shadows and sunrise.

“Smile my boy, it’s sunrise.”

~ Robin Williams

Luminosity

Luminosity shows only in darkness where eyes seek the light where shadows are defined.

Luminosity shines with darkened gloss in pools of ocean deep water where seaweed waves and floats.

Luminosity is the chance

to see beauty and serenity

in a moonless sky.

“Look carefully around you and recognize the luminosity of souls. 

Sit beside those who draw you to that.”

~ Rumi