Escape From the Shadow

This was written after hearing someone talk about being held in dark places but always pushing to get to the light. It was also a reflection of my own feelings as I went through a tough period of an invisible illness.

Darkness hangs over me

Not always an enemy

It walks beside me for years

Knowing my footsteps

My fears

My rhythms

But then again

Sometimes it turns on me

It locks me in windowless rooms

Hallways that circle back on themselves

Paths with walls too high to climb

It is not just absence of light

It is a heavy weight that leans in

Cold trembling

Sometimes silent

Other times too much noise

I realise it is not my whole self

I see a thin light under the door

There is a flicker of warmth in my chest

I step through the door

I hesitate

The shadow whispers to turn back

But another voice says Stay

I recognise that there is more than shadow

An open window breathing fresh air

A room where the ceiling finally lifts

A feeling of warmth

Bright colours reflect into my mind

This is a place

The other part of me

That completes my whole self

Here I see I am not broken

I am in motion

I may fall back

But

I will always

Escape from the shadow