Shadow Self
There is a shadow that is always there,
Lurking deep within my soul.
It is the essence of self,
Found within the chasm of my mind—
A place where sun-rays dare not enter,
And transformation is eons away.
The shadow faithfully follows my pensive footsteps,
Looking for opportunities to teach life’s lessons.
But I am a petulant child who does not listen,
The shadow a patient teacher,
One that will wait many lifetimes to be found.
The shadow pauses silently for me to ponder.
It is connected to all that I am,
Yet I don’t acknowledge or recognise its presence.
Can this shadow really exist?
Negative emotions push into the recesses of my mind,
Tipping the scales—
Balance becomes unbalanced.
Without warning, the lessons flow.
I start to understand.
I can relinquish all that I thought I was.
To truly experience joy, I must allow sadness to enter in.
To grasp peace, I must recognise burning anger knocking at my door.
Without shadow, there can be no light.
Silver moonbeams flood in.
Hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, shadow and I walk,
For realisation is upon me.
The shadow self is not to be avoided,
But celebrated and embraced.
Equilibrium restored as the authentic me is awakened.
The Storm
The storm danced and raged last night
Thundering war cries echoed as the sky blazed
The stormed cleared all in its path
Debris sprawled around for miles
Like ripples in the sea
Did you hide from the storm?
Or did you embrace its wild energy?
There is always a reason why the storm comes
It clears away that which is not firmly attached
Moving obstacles out of its way
There is no malice or judgement
Just a need to move forwards
Did you cling to the fragments and drift?
Or did you let go and flow with the rain drops?
For the rain channels tracks
Surging towards its source
It’s easy to drift with the debris that floats on the tide
But there is strength in letting go to face uncharted waters
With release comes acceptance
Fear disappears as it transcends into freedom
The storm passes
New lessons learned
Fly high storm embracer
For you are following the path that has been cleared for you!
Nina de La Mare