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Shadows waltzing across my ceiling never seem to fear the future.
They come when called, enthusiastically enthralled.
They kiss and trail
Every night without fail

My frail body lays awake
I lie and ache
Fear a constant, leering foe.
I yearn to be the soft, sweet 6 year old.
She was scared and alone
But she had been safe.

The shadows have no worldly fears
Their care is only the forever dance of night
When they intertwine
Togethet
Instil fear into the hearts of young
And bring hope to the future generation
In shadows they lurk, with deceit as their guide,
Claiming truths not their own, where their morals have died.
A hollow pursuit, in the depths of the night,
Seeking light from others, to claim as their right.

But truth is a flame that burns from within,
Not a trophy to steal, nor a prize to win.
It's the essence of being, the core of our soul,
Not a void to be filled, nor a gap to control.

So let's hold our truth, with compassion and grace,
And walk our own paths, at our own steady pace.
For the truth that we live, is the light that we give,
In a world of shadows, it's how we truly live.
Widad Apr 2
In the shadows, I’m trapped and alone,
A twisted world, my heart’s turned to stone.
He watches my every move with a grin,
But I’ll fight back, I won’t give in.
His whispers haunt me in the dark,
I feel his touch, his evil mark.
But I wait for the moon to light the way,
The eclipse will come, I’ll escape today.
Eclipse in the sky, the dark fades away,
A spark of light to guide my way.
Under the moon, my magic will rise,
And when the sun fades, I’ll claim my prize.
The clock ticks down, the moment nears,
The eclipse will end my fears.
In the silence, I hear his breath,
But I’ll rise above, even through death.
I close my eyes and feel the heat,
The power within me, it’s bittersweet.
The chains are cold, but my heart beats strong,
I’ll hold on tight, I’ll prove him wrong.
Eclipse in the sky, the dark fades away,
A spark of light to guide my way.
Under the moon, my magic will rise,
And when the sun fades, I’ll claim my prize.
His laughter echoes, but I won’t break,
I know the eclipse is mine to take.
The stars align, my power grows,
And in that moment, my spirit glows.
I feel the change, the magic stirs,
The eclipse will come, my mind it blurs.
I’ll break these chains, I’ll break his hold,
For in the light, my story’s told.
The shadows close in, but I won’t fall,
I’ll rise above, I’ll stand tall.
With every heartbeat, I feel the spark,
The eclipse will come, and I’ll leave the dark.
Stars collide, the night turns bright,
The eclipse is here, I feel the light.
My power calls, the chains unwind,
And in the light, I leave the dark behind.
The door is open, I see the sky,
No more whispers, no more lies.
The chains fall down, I take a breath,
I’m free at last, no more death.
He screams my name, but it’s too late,
I’m gone now, sealed by fate.
The eclipse has come, the world’s anew,
I’ll rise from here, and start anew.
The moon is fading, the sun will rise,
I’ll walk into the light, no more disguise.
The world is mine, the battle won,
And in the light, my freedom’s just begun.
Eclipse in the sky, the dark fades away,
A spark of light to guide my way.
Under the moon, my magic will rise,
And when the sun fades, I’ll claim my prize.
Neil Coleman Mar 31
It took forever for the hot water to get up to my room 
Every hotel I get a room in the hot water takes forever to get to me
I'm not kidding 
And I'm on like the 3rd floor, not the 12th or the 32nd
The hotels I stay in don't have 12 stories and definitely don't have 32

But the view was ok
The roof of the lobby had a lot of things going on
Like big fans and motors and pipes
And water in big puddles
All the hotels I stay in have a lot of water in big puddles
They really do

But the girl at the check-in counter really knew what she was doing
She checked me in real quick 
And she was friendly
Most check-in girls are not friendly at all
They act like you're a inconvenience to their job
Which is checking people in to the hotel
Check-in guys too

But when they're nice it makes everything seem not so shady 
I hate it when people treat you like you're standing in a shadow
like you're invisible
It makes me feel like they can't see me
It really gets annoying after a while
Like all they see is a big fan and a lot of water in a big puddle

It really does
Jeremy Betts Mar 12
The monsters quickly collect under the bed
Graduating faster to free range demons roaming the head
Diabolical shadows lurking on the perimeter of the peripheral
Becoming a something far to real to think it still impossible
Unlike fear and loathing, fear and logic are seldomly seen traversing side by side
The unnatural occurrence of an unnecessary ride

By the time an oblivious mind realizes the kamikaze danger
The digits it controls are busy pulling out each heartbreak dagger
Those select few that came through the front from the  back
Create tallies in scar form that are starting to overlap as they stack
Teetering on life's edge as it dares me to take that final step over
Finding it impossible not to follow the devil when there's one on each shoulder
Blackened
In shadows deep, where silence reigns, A journey marked by unseen chains.
Through corridors of night we tread, Seeking solace in the dread.
The echoes linger, cold and stark, In every heart, a lasting mark. To depths unknown, we cast our gaze, In twilight's grip, we lose our ways.
Enticed by voids, we break the ties, In newfound space, where darkness lies.
With every step, a story traced, In haste we move, yet time erased.
neth jones Feb 22
over snow fields
chimney smoke versus clouds
                         racing shadows
haiku inspired
[original notes from 02/25

shadows of clouds move over snow
versus the shadows of smoke from
an institute chimney]
JAMIL HUSSAIN Feb 17
One day we shall meet by the river’s quiet sweep,  
Where blooms, like secrets, in the garden sleep.  

On the right, the florist, her hands so soft with care,  
Tending to fragile lives that grace the air.  

To the left, the trees, so patient, dark, and wide,  
Their roots in silence, where the shadows hide.  

Their limbs, like whispers, reach toward the sky,  
As though they, too, have learned the art of sigh.  

Above us, the moon, pale, her glow so still,  
A quiet sentinel against the night’s cold chill.  

She watches, steady, as our hearts unfold,  
In the twilight hour where time turns gold.  

We shall meet when time, like rivers, winds,  
And silence speaks the language that the heart intends.  

Not in a rush, but in a soft, sweet flow,  
Where blooms, and trees, and stars bestow.  

The river hums a tune so deep,  
The flowers bow, the trees do keep.  

Their silent watch as we draw near,  
A meeting born of calm, sincere.
Where Shadows and Flowers Meet 17/02/2025 © All Rights Reserved by Jamil Hussain
Vianne Lior Feb 16
The door yawns open—
its hinges groan like old bones.
Dust blooms in the light,
a ghost of every footstep
that once passed through.

The walls inhale,
exhaling the scent of old wood,
something sour, something lost.
Wallpaper peels like dead skin,
exposing the raw ribs of the house.

In the kitchen, the table waits,
a chair slightly askew—
as if someone had just left,
as if they might return.

A single cup, cracked,
lingers in the sink,
stained with ghosts of coffee,
lips that once pressed its rim.

The stairs creak beneath my weight—
not in protest,
but in recognition.
They know me.
They remember.

Upstairs, the air thickens,
choked with the weight of silence.
A door stands half-open,
swollen with time,
holding its echoes close.

The bed is made,
but the sheets lie stiff with dust.
A shirt drapes over the chair,
sleeves limp, reaching—
but for no one.

I reach out, fingers grazing glass—
a shadow stirs in the corner of my eye,
but when I turn, nothing waits for me.
Only absence.
Only the house, patient, watching.

I swallow,
but the house does not.
It keeps everything.
It keeps them.

I turn to leave—
but the walls hold their breath.
They know.
I will come back.

I always do.

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