Within The Shade
written by: Jessica Dudzinski
i wanted you to see me,
for all those years i stayed
trapped behind words
that held my true self in the shade
the shadow form you created
haunted my waking world
the desire to be or do
or feel or see
a world forbidden to me
echoed through each bone
each breath dripped with hope
that one day i could reconnect
with the me within the shade
here in the light of day
beyond your reach, your touch
shadow and light connect
to create whole
the remnants of the me
that was before
and as light touches
bits and pieces
it burns away the shade
and as dark turns light,
a new me is born
smarter than the girl before
and stronger than the woman i was
today and forever,
i will see me and
never more let
my true self
be hidden in the shade.
- Freedom - October 3, 2024
- Within The Shade - July 4, 2024
- The Slumber of Youth - August 28, 2023
