Amongst the Shadows

(Poetic response to “The Sound of Hollyhocks”)

The dark is a curious thing.

The way the countless shades of night interweave,

The colors and shapes distort themselves,

Into an endless and unbreakable expanse of black.

The shadows that slip and slide against one another

Dancing with the musty, cold air.

The feeling of being secluded in your own world

While constantly being observed.  

My doctor said I could leave the dark if I wanted.

That if I tried hard enough, I would see daylight once again.

But I know a lie when I hear one.

I chose to live amongst the shadows.

To fully immerse myself in this eternal night.

To be engulfed by this black tide of darkness.

Why?

Because, despite what everyone says,

 There is no light at the end of the tunnel.