A Shadow Of Himself/Finding Its Voice(For Onelia) Poem by Dónall Dempsey

My shadow struggles
to keep up with me

trips over
sticks & stones & bones.

The sunlight
is harsh with it

unrelentingly

calling it
into being

driving it up the wall
‘round the bend
(at my beck & call)

chained to this
mortal

not relishing
this flesh
& blood

existence

panting like a dog
at my feet

as I stop to eat
(ashamed at my bad Greek)

as the island
unmoored

drifts unseen
to the horizon

as I drink
much too much
wine

& my shadow
senses its chance

to escape
this troubled man

hides in the shade
as the cigarette smoke

dances
like laughter

& the memory
of a woman

entwines about
his heart

as the music
weeps & weeps

the shadow
falls asleep

&
wakes

to discover
I have left

(without it)

a shadow-less
man

soulless
& only

now the shadow
discovers

(realises)
it misses me

& searches
blindly for me

but all
to no avail

(for to a shadow)

all humans
look the same

(look alike)

& the shadow
becomes

part of this

lonely lonely

night.

*******

FINDING ITS VOICE(for Onelia)

The bell
has lost its tongue

stares silently
at the sky

that mocks
its muteness.

I take a stone
in hand

weigh up
its chances

fling it
at the silent bell.

I aim
to please

& the bell
pleased as can be

sings every now & then
with the voice of the stone.

The sky
cracks up

flashes with
lightning

the thunder claps

as stone
after stone

the bell
sings.

******