The Shadow Poem by Erika Wingo

I had a dream one night
In which i walked through a meadow
The sun was blazing an intense heat
My heart was pounding
When I noticed a shadow
Hanging its head in defeat
It copied my motions
And stopped when I stopped
And ran when I started to run
I was runnug as fast as I could
And searching the sky
For a place somewhere above the sun

That's when I felt an ache
Deep within me
As though every pain I've ever felt
Were sudddenly one
The shadow was standing
As still as could be
I tried to stop the tears
When I felt them come
They burned tiny paths
Down my sweaty cheeks
The clouds seemed to laugh
When the rain began to pour
As if taunting me
I watched as the shadow
Raised its arms into the air
Together we cried out, 'Oh Lord,
Help me end this despair! '
I think I made an effort to catch it,
But the shadow crumpled to the ground
Just as the weather turned fair