The Man Who Collected Shadows

The Man Who Collected Shadows

Every evening just past dusk,
When daylight breathed its final sigh,
A lonely figure crossed the hills,
With empty sacks held by his side.

No one knew from where he came,
No soul had seen the place he’d slept.
Yet every child had heard the tales,
Of all the shadows that he kept.

He never stole a single coin,
Nor jewels hidden out of sight.
Instead, he’d gather scattered shades,
That wandered aimlessly at night.

The shadow of a broken tree,
The outline of an ancient wall.
The darkness cast by empty homes,
He treasured every one of all.

He’d kneel beneath a silver moon,
And gently fold them one by one.
Like precious letters kept for years,
Long after every word was done.

People laughed and called him mad,
A fool who chased what none could hold.
But every wrinkle on his face,
Suggested secrets left untold.

One freezing night a stranger asked,
“Why fill your sacks with empty air?”
The old man smiled but never spoke,
He simply offered him a stare.

At dawn the village woke to screams,
The sunlight felt unusually bright.
Every shadow had disappeared,
Not one remained in morning’s light.

The trees looked naked in the sun,
The houses seemed unnaturally bare.
Even people searched the ground,
Confused to find no darkness there.

Without shadows, something changed.
No mirrors showed familiar eyes.
Faces smiled but hearts grew cold,
While every truth became a lie.

The old man stood upon the hill,
His sacks now bursting at each seam.
He tipped his hat towards the crowd,
As though they’d lived inside a dream.

Then every sack burst open wide,
A storm of darkness filled the sky.
Each shadow found its owner once more…
Except for one that passed them by.

They say it wanders still at dusk,
Looking for someone left alone.
If ever yours should disappear

Don’t follow the man with none of his own.

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