The Shadow at My Shoulder
A Villanelle of Haunting
The shadow at my shoulder will not fade,
Its hollow eyes that watch me in the night.
I scream against the bargain that we've made.
Through every dawn and dusk, through sun and shade,
It follows close, a specter burning bright.
The shadow at my shoulder will not fade.
I rage against this debt that must be paid,
My fists are clenched, my teeth are bared to fight.
I scream against the bargain that we've made.
What foolish oath, what promise once I gave?
Now bound to walk beside this ghostly blight.
The shadow at my shoulder will not fade.
My fury tears the air, but I'm afraid
Of what I've done, of what will come to light.
I scream against the bargain that we've made.
No prayer, no plea can free me from this trade,
This double bound in darkness and in fright.
The shadow at my shoulder will not fade,
I scream against the bargain that we've made.
About the Creator
Tim Carmichael
Let your becoming be louder than your fear, and your smallest steps become the road you once thought impossible to walk. An Appalachian poet and cookbook author my book Beautiful and Brutal Things is on Amazon, Link 👇
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