I Met My Shadow Poem by Ridah Ellahi

The cold hand from the darkness,
Lands on my icy skin.
Talks to me about life,
Asks me how I’ve been.
But what do I tell it?
What do I say to my shadow?
Do I tell it about the blood that has been shed?
Do I tell it that now I’m shallow?
I’m deprived of all sentiments.
I have a heart of stone.
The world fails to see,
That behind this tough exterior,
I’m miserable and alone.
I hug myself and cry.
Find a ray of light, I try.
Oh shadow! You are unaware.
This heart is broken beyond repair.
I’m surprised to see you.
For a long time, my shadow has been….despair.
Now that I’m immune to being alone,
You offer me a friendly hand.
Is this another attempt to break my spirit?
Want me to cry just because you want to hear it!
Even in the light,
I can still see your face.
Leave now and never come back!
Don’t trap me in your cold embrace.
But beyond all that, dear shadow,
You are my most valuable possession.
Hear my sorrows, hear my joy,
With unimaginable amount of discretion.
You are the only one I trust.
Learn to walk with you I must.
From my past I have learned,
Life will go where we lead it.
Curse it, desert it, abandon it.
But in the end, we all need it.