Shadow Dweller

I have always been content
To live in the shadows
Avoiding the limelight
Keeping out of the sun
Living on the fringes of life
Bathing in the reflected glory of my peers
Living life vicariously
Keeping the world at arms length
And keeping a low profile
Laughing at other peoples jokes
Rejoicing in other peoples good fortune
Cheering on other peoples success
Crying at other peoples weddings
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride
Always the uncle, never the father
Always the friend, never the lover
And why not? no harm no foul
It’s safe wrapping yourself in Clingfilm
Living a sterile life, protected
Against the pain and hurt
That fills the world
And I was more than happy to do it
And I thought myself the better for it
But now I realise
I am incomplete
I have lived a half-life
Taking no risks
Not opening my shell
By not exposing myself to the dangers
I have denied myself the pleasures
Well no more will I be content
I will no longer inhabit the shadows
No more will I view life from the fringes
I want to be blinded by the limelight
I want to walk in the sunlight
Before it’s too late to live a full life

Seeing the Light

A man who has lived a monk like existence in the shadows of life now sees the light.

Category

Sad Love Poetry

Sub-category

Poems of Love and Loneliness

Copyright © Paul Curtis. All Rights Reserved

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