Shadow Dancing

Published on by Tosha Michelle


Sometimes we have
to move beyond the full
length mirror, the curled
hair, the made up face,
the audience waiting
for a grand illusion.
We’re all an imperfect play,
hoping someone will take
note of the things we leave
out. See beyond the war paint
and hot iron, and find enchantment
in a confusing plot. We want someone
to love our secrets, our darker selves as they
tumble off the stage, stained
crimson from the fall, to love
our grief, our less than moments
where we dance over our own shadow, into chaos.
Someone who’d traded their own conflicts
and essentials with us, take our hand,
pull us up, and show us something generous,
pure and beautiful.

Incomplete, but together we
walk into the night,
all our bitter truths in the wind.
We journey on, our own fallen civilization
of happenstance romance. Finally, understanding
this is love, this is love the way the broken do it.

-Tosha Michelle

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35 thoughts on “Shadow Dancing”

  1. Powerful, beautiful writing Tosha. You have this knack of getting straight to the point and articulating it brilliantly. I especially loved this portion –

    We want someone
    to love our secrets, our darker selves as they
    tumble off the stage, stained
    crimson from the fall, to love
    our grief, our less than moments
    where we dance over our own shadow, into chaos.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  6. Tosha, You have touched my heart, my soul, enhanced by goals; strengthened me, though I am apart from my beloved. He died. Why? 8 weeks ago today. What can I say? Then I lost my eye. Goodbye, I think; but not yet. I put my bets on healing! Your poem … I cherish it. It gave me feeling, sealing of my wound, believing, caring, sharing, love … from a stranger, who will never be a stranger again … friend.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  13. Your choice of words is really beautiful. I specially love these lines:

    ‘We journey on, our own fallen civilization
    of happenstance romance. Finally, understanding
    this is love, this is love the way the broken do it.’ ❤ ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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