I See Shadows Poem by Bonnie Shipman

I thought I made mistakes
And found I had
My shadow fell into my eyes
Until the rain washed me away

Under the city
Where the gypsies roam, I discovered
People who make mistakes
Don't always cry

And I cried
Until I washed myself away

The cold damp darkness piercing
Could not find me until my eyes
Opened on the golden tear
Falling from the eye of a father
Bending over me

“You thought mistakes
Were the end, ” he said
And I had

Then his laughter rose
From under my—suddenly scarred—back
Washed me
For the first time, inside
Until I spewed up my shadow
And laughed with him

10/25/11