The Artist Challenge - Shifting Shadows

Shifting Shadows Here and There

Shifting shadows here and there,
Here and there they shift.
Claiming shapes of those they meet.
Of those they meet they claim.

Tied to the sun and the moon,
Reflected by earth.
Found in places near and far,
Cruising winds and currents.

Meeting your dark silhouette
Look deep into it.
Lose yourself for a moment,
There may be no escape.

They lurk inside your attics.
In basements they hunt.
At the top of staircases,
They are in your closets.

When darkness is descended,
Around city blocks,
From street signs to shop windows,
A shadow masquerade.

Abounding in the forests,
Under the sparse light.
Trickery and illusions,
Thickly veiled by large trees.

Plunging through ocean's waves
Chasing, pursuing,
Imitating and mocking,
Life in such abundance.

With the rise and fall of the sun,
Dancing upon clouds,
Bouncing off the moon and back,
Amongst the boundless sky.

Shifting shadows here and there.
Here and there, they shift.
Claiming shapes of those they meet,
Of those they meet they claim.

© 2009 Sarah Donnellan

I wrote this as a literary challenge, 'Shifting Shadows', and to accompany The Artist Challenge of the same with the piece pictured. Please go view other member's amazing artwork at The Artist Challenge and read wonderful stories and poems at The Inferno.

Tree Series

This is the second and third in my Tree series. It is interesting to see how the shapes of them can be interpreted differently, like finding objects in the clouds :)

Dancing Tree

Trees dancing in the breeze are mesmerizing to watch. This is the first in my Dancing Trees series..

The Artist Challenge - The Hidden Treasure

A Hiding Treasure

I wonder who hid this treasure and why?

Please have a look at other member's beautiful artwork at

The Artist Challenge..

A Guilty Conscience

Climbing into his bed,
A deep breath, eyes close.
Relaxing, releasing,
He sinks into slumber.

Images of his day
Pass peacefully by.
Slightly strange or mundane,
Dreams of the usual fare.

But dreams can be naive,
Subtle and stubborn,
So shielding and shallow,
Layer upon layer.

Rooted into his core,
The deepest layer,
His dreams kept a secret,
They mask a wicked truth.

Like a grave infection,
His guilty conscience
Tied to a past event,
Hidden but not quite lost.

Skilled dancers nightmares are
Lay resolved in wait,
Determined to reveal
What dreams may choose not to.

Slowly, assuredly
Lightness fades to gray.
In nocturnal repose,
Senses he’s not alone.

The air feels dense and raw,
Deafening silence.
Then stunned, through the darkness
Sudden, familiar screams.

Abruptly, panic grips.
Shame and guilt are bared,
For the nightmares, they know,
And the nightmares, they creep.

Fitful, heart fluttering.
He tosses, he turns.
The shivers and tremors,
His whole body quivers.

Flying at him swiftly,
Faces from his past,
Disembodied, grotesque,
Surround and invade him.

Repulsed and terrified,
Waving arms, vision blurred.
Ahead of him, a path.
Instinctively, he runs.

Flying, fleeing, reaching,
Sweet escape is his.
The path under his feet.
Around his neck, a hand.

Wrenched carelessly downward
He fights to resist.
The screaming, the faces,
Caught by his own nightmares.

Struggling, he calls for help.
Hardly a whisper.
There is no one to come.
There is no one at all.

Harsh, cold wind rushes by
Again and once more.
And in his ear a voice,
"We know you are guilty."

The truth will set him free,
"Yes, I admit it!"
To the nightmares, he shouts.
He will confess his sins.

The light returns to him,
Armed with a resolve,
His eyes open anew.
He sits up, feet on ground.

As he walks toward the door,
A feeling, looks back
On the bed, he still lies.
How can this be? Unless...

Realizing in horror,
Burying a sin
For too long a time can
Absolutely kill you.

Where mercy has been shown
To friends of the truth,
This is not so for all.
For him...it is too late.

© 2009 Sarah Donnellan

I wrote this as a literary challenge 'nightmares dance' inspired by Alfred Hitchcock for The Inferno, where you can read amazing stories by other artists and writers.

The Gift (Art Challenge)

Reaching

Never stop reaching for what will make you happy. Who says your dreams can’t come in a box tied with a red ribbon?





Please have a look at other member's beautiful artwork at The Artist Challenge..