“Lengthening Shadows” Post #9: “Across the Room” by Mary Oches

MARY OCHES

Across the Room

The last time I stared across the room
	was the first time you tried to hide
		your face from my gaze.

Your eyes became clouded with doubt,
	your mouth perceptively trembled,
		and my soul became joyless.

What chilling thoughts enveloped your mind,
	what hidden fears scratched and
		clawed vainly at the surface?

What words unspoken screamed to be heard,
	Asking when the lengthening shadow
		Of our love would descend?

---

“Lengthening Shadows” Post #8: “The Pumpkin Man” by Sophia McShane

SOPHIA MCSHANE

The Pumpkin Man

You won't catch him easily; a task that can't be done effortlessly.  

You must wait until the second Friday of October, when the moon is high and full, peaking over the burnt-orange trees, with the forest creatures having fallen into a quiet lull.  

Leave behind all belongings and sentimental things.  Arrive wearing only your pajamas and both tightly tied shoestrings.  

Make sure you have old socks filled in a sizable sack, so it's heavy enough that it drags along the trail behind your back.  

Be certain they're all left socks, and ones you don't like, because you won't see them again after tonight.  Double-check you haven't mixed in any rights in your sack, or else he won't be quickly forgiving.  

When the moon is at her highest, shining light through the dark, make your way to the middle of the farm.  Put your back to the stiff scarecrow with your face turned to the dark velvet tree line.

He will come at exactly 3 o’clock, so do not be late because he leaves at 3, o 3 and never leaves a trace.  

When he does finally arrive, make sure you are fast.  Swiftly dump out the socks and stand back.

He’ll inspect them carefully, with high precision, making sure they're to his liking since this is serious business.  

When he’s all hunched over with his gaunt back curled like a cat's, you must act quickly.  

This is your only chance to seize him, so take the sack you brought without him seeing and quickly snatch him up without missing.  

Snag his orange pumpkin head first into your bag, then shimmy him down into the bottom.  

He might shake around, and wiggle, or yell, but try your best to ignore his requests to let him out. So if you have followed my plan, then you will have now just caught The Pumpkin Man.  You can receive candy whenever you request it, or treats of any kind.  But be careful of his tricks because he his witty; he will try to out sly you with ruses to escape you.  

Until then, enjoy your earned treats and have a happy Halloween!

---

“Lengthening Shadows” Post #7: “Golden-Headed Grasses” by Tom Zimmerman

TOM ZIMMERMAN

Golden-Headed Grasses

I make my way, the meadow path lined high
with golden-headed grasses Trey and I
trot by, the sun obscured by clouds, dusk’s bruise
still new.   //   I parked the car back at the church
but Trey’s nose points toward home through still-green muddy
woods too cool for bugs, southeast by south
we tromp.   //   So soon the nights when bright Orion
swings around the west side of the house
while I hunt words and beats to fret the silken
strings to leave a record we were here.   
//   I simmer casarecce twisted as 
my DNA, it’s Dad’s old pasta pot   
named Thumper, beer in front of me, thank god,
still need to brown up last night’s pallid chicken,
much like me last summer at the beach.

---

“Lengthening Shadows” Post #6: “Oh, But How I Hate Fall” by Sophia McShane

SOPHIA MCSHANE

Oh, But How I Hate Fall 

It is not the gentle breeze carrying colored leaves that greets me at the beginning of this season, 

Oh, but instead, an overwhelming gust of melancholy, followed by a depression that carries me into winter.  

The sugary sweet candies do not distract me, but instead plant under my tongue a feeling of looming dread, for the piercing cold season to come ahead.  

---

“Lengthening Shadows” Post #5: Two Poems by Wanda Kay Sanders

WANDA KAY SANDERS

The Hunt 

It is the shadow of the moon against the sun 
A starless night hidden behind clouds 

Only a slight wind blowing 
Dry air across the desert land 

We hear the collective howl of wolves 
As they hunt in the darkness 

The thirst for blood like that of a man at war 
A man armed with bayonet and machine gun 

Watching for the slightest move of the enemy 
His prey on two legs instead of four 

Hiding behind the shadowy rock. 
Wait and wait some more 

Prepare for combat 
Only one will survive until dawn 

---


Formation

It starts in the bowels of the Earth 
First a lump of coal – hot pulsing, burning with fire 
It transcends the shadow darkness 
And bursts forth a brilliant diamond 
We hold this light in our hands 
Clutching carefully what we’ve found
In the light of the sun we shine 
No longer shadows hidden 
But spirits riding on the clouds in the sky 
Breath of God spreading far and wide
Reflects the prism's rainbow 
Facets of our journey first below 
Then above then below then above 
Rise up up from the depths 
Send us out into the Heavens 
Diamonds in the wind 
Sparkle shine soar 
Ever reaching for the stars 
Spreading to the planets beyond 

---

“Lengthening Shadows” Post #4: “Journey to Eternal Goodness” by Jenna Jabbar

JENNA JABBAR

Journey to Eternal Goodness 

I descended from an eternal place 
From goodness and wine 
Now the sun hits my face 
Burns off all marks of my previously privileged life 
The breeze that carries scornful sand 
Enters my system to cough up the remaining aroma of the wine 
Thirst, like a samurai, fights the canal that welcomed pleasant fruits 
This desert plants its mark on my soul 
My naked body 
I do not mind it, at first 
Since clothes were never introduced in the place of eternal happiness 
But others around me 
Like myself, trying to endure the wrath of the environment 
Use their arms to cover up the parts sacred of the human body 
I do the same 
I attempt to conceal myself 
Yet, that does not work as my arms do not contain everything 
They are less significant than to cover up what shall be covered 
As I attempt to drag my legs into the abyss 
An elderly lady wearing a ragged brown dress looking oddly familiar  
Looks at me with pity 
An intricately innocent smile is drawn upon her exhausted face 
“Dear, why don't you go to that store?  
“You might find something suitable for your smooth, delicate body. 
“Do so before the sand storm marks your destiny.” 
A beige building with fur on its side 
A bland poster with glitter to beautify it 
Typical rectangular windows with odd figures painted diligently on it 
Figures like demons, saints, prophets, angels 
And struggling peasants 
Peasants who, oddly enough, look closely like the body covering folk 
Folk like myself 
The place smelled of musk and coal 
My legs are dragged to the store as if a will from its own 
Well, how nice 
A thrift store 
I sigh thankfully as I find an opportunity to cover up my bared soul 
Rummaging through the clothes 
Desiring cloth that would conceal my secrets  
Not sure if it matters if the cloth is ill fitting 
Or ripped 
Or hideous 
Or inappropriate 
Why shall it matter at the moment? 
I can change cloth along the deserted route, right? 
I take sight of the first rack of clothing 
A pair of blue jeans, fluttery pink wings, a green shirt, a devious red cap with demon horns 
I am dazed by this rack 
As I wander and feel the worn out clothes, a glowy figure comes to sight 
I would love to describe him, yet I forgot what he looked like the moment I left the store 
We conversed, though, and it is still engraved in my brain 
The figure shines themselves  
A mysterious energy surrounds the store 
An energy too powerful to describe 
It seemed as if a force pushed me to the ground 
Unable to stand tall 
Only able to kneel down 
To—what seems to be—The Mighty 
The Mighty, that is what I will call them, looks at me pitifully 
“Why you worry yourself so, to cloth yourself?” The Mighty asks 
“Well mysterious spirit, The Mighty, my body is uncovered. 
“It is shameful, I assume, to have this much revealed.” I protest 
The Mighty laughs and concludes, “Child, the cloth picks the slave, 
Or does it? 
“That mystery, Child, your people will take years to figure out and answer. 
“You would never understand what I shall say, what I rule by.  
“Do not concern yourself too much. Everything will unravel.”  
The Mighty sways away with much grace and greatness 
As soon as The Mighty leaves, my legs drag my confused body 
I am directed to a pair of blue jeans with flowery patches 
Directed to a sunny, yellow shirt 
Both seem appropriate for the burning weather 
As I journey to the cash register, The Mighty reappears 
“Child, you shall not pay now. 
Consider it a debt that shall be paid off when the time calls you to.” 
I make my trip to the exit, more confused than ever 
More people are voyaging, yet nobody seems to know where to go 
The tired faces and ached bodies want a refuge 
No matter how far they have to go 
I do the same 
As the broken folk progress in their trip, 
The weather decides to change its morals 
From smoldering sand 
To frigid frost 
Although I was once delighted with my cloth, 
I cannot stand it 
I used to ridicule the coat-wearing folk 
Now I envy them 
My bodily system begs me to take the coat of one of the paupers 
I do not do that, though 
For a reason I cannot quite tell 
The weather gets angrier at us  
But luckily, we reach a slope where everybody settles 
Or at least I thought 
Most people in the bowl seem familiar 
As if I know them 
As if everything they feel, I have felt along my journey 
I turn my head ever so slightly to see people residing in a deeper slope 
Another bowl containing absurd creatures with wings  
Creatures so ginormous to the point where it felt like they won’t fill in the bowl 
But they did 
The bowl, as much as it swallowed, grew larger and larger 
More vicious than ever 
Growing poisonous plants and muddy drinking water 
This is the moment where people are penalized  
For how they treated each other during the deserted expedition 
This, I figured, is the beginning of my eternal journey

---

“Lengthening Shadows” Post #3: “Five Falls Ago” by Shams Aldwake

SHAMS ALDWAKE

Five Falls Ago

Five falls ago, beneath bright skies,  
I found your light in candle lit eyes.
I walked where olive branches swayed, 
And heard the songs the soft wind played.

I knew your name before I knew 
How deeply I would long for you. 
Your sun lay warm upon my face, 
Your sea called out, a soft embrace.

I’ve written of you through countless days, 
Yet still can’t capture all your ways.
Your winding streets, your golden light, 
Your quiet mornings, stars at night.

Five falls ago, the leaves turned gold, 
With every breeze, a story was told. 
My feet struck hard upon the ground, 
Still chasing after your sacred sound.

But seasons changed, and time moved fast, 
And now I search for what has passed.
I’m forced to stop; the truth is clear,
Ive come too late—youve dissappeared

Where are you now, my voice, my faith? 
How could so much be swept away?
I search for you in autumn air, 
In every street, in every prayer.

Leaves fall softly from each tree, 
Like snipppets of memory.
Yet olive roots stay buried deep, 
Holding the promises they keep.

When will your honor be restored? 
When will your pain not be ignored? 
The stars bend low across the night, 
As if ashamed to shine so bright.

And here I stand as seasons turn,
With memories that forever burn.
A longing time cannot erase,
Still searching for your familiar face.

You are my grief, and you’re my pride,
A living pulse I keep inside.
Though autumn leaves may fall and fade, 
My love for you will never change.

Five falls have passed, yet still I know 
Some roots grow deeper as seasons go. 
Though branches bend beneath the sky, 
Their roots hold strong and never die.

So if one day you fade from view, 
My heart will still remember you.
Through every fall, through every year,
Your name will always linger near.

---

“Lengthening Shadows” Post #2: Three Poems by KD Williams

KD WILLIAMS

Musings from a Wannabe Vampire 

The blood thumping in my skull 
is like a siren song 
is never ending 
is going to stop 
suddenly, one day, inevitably, 
unless I am successful 
at catching my shadow
lengthening itself across the kitchen floor,

for now, I eat pasta with red sauce, 
I drink Merlot out of a goblet, 
I grow my nails long and sharpen them to a point, 
the easier to snatch, 
the better to forget, 
the more the scarier…
Years gather together like droplets becoming one puddle on the sidewalk. 

A vampire gives up the day 
to gain the night—
the sun has never been my friend, 
but, like a lover who I cannot help but love,
even when it burns, 
I persist,
and as a vampire I’m sure I will learn lessons akin to 
the sun is worth the burn 
and 
when the stakes are laid low,
Immortality does not shield you
from Death, 

it only makes you a witness 
to more loss and more time, 
while you technically remain intact,
you will outdo yourself,
undo yourself, 
losing so much, 
dying so long 
living becomes meaningless. 


---


How can it be the weekend,
when you’re not here?

You used to whine at my feet 
while I tapped at keys,
asking me to lie down next to you instead. 

I have things to do, I’d say.
There are emails waiting,
and deadlines,
and a thousand little things
that always seemed so urgent.
And you would look at me
with those old, foggy eyes
as if you knew better.

So I would, sometimes,
lie down midday with a sigh,
and you would settle against me
like you had been waiting all day
for the simple miracle
of us being still.

I thought I was giving you what you wanted.
I didn't know
you were giving me what I needed.

Now I understand.
You were here to teach me
a lesson I was too busy living
to learn:
Slow down.
Get horizontal once in a while.
Let the world wait.
Let the messages go unanswered
for another hour.
Let the dishes stay in the sink.
Let the laundry remain unfolded.
Notice the afternoon light
lengthening shadows across the floor.
Notice how warm the blankets are.
Notice the sound of breathing.
Shush, shush.

I would give anything now
for one more interruption.
One more insistence
that I stop what I'm doing.
I would put everything aside.
I would lie beside you
for as long as you wanted,
my hand resting on your fur,
remembering the shape of you
again with my fingertips.

But wishing we had more time 
is not the point. 
The point is that 
the time we have is enough
if I remember 
to be there for it.

---

Season of the Demon 

This is the season of the demon who lengthens a shadow 
in your peripheral vision. He stands in the doorway of your sleep,
listening, more patient than a father, watching your furrowed brow. 

My child, he will say, if you wake up, if you see him, if you look him
square in the eyes. 
Maybe it’s better that way, seeing him full-on, 
not reflected in the corner of your bathroom mirror. 
Once you do, you’ll start searching for him in every face. 
You won’t mean to, but the mind demands faces from shapes,
the actor who looks like another actor who looks like your old therapist,
collecting faces until one fits the mood.
His suitcase is full of looks he can try on for any occasion. 
Yours is next. 

---

“Lengthening Shadows” Post #1: “September 2nd — 31 Years Old” by Josiah Jackson

“Growing Season” Post #21: “There Is a Time” by Wanda Kay Sanders

WANDA KAY SANDERS

There Is a Time 

In every life there is a Time – for everything, 
     Mostly a mystery till it happens. 

So often we want to know ahead of Time, the impatience 
      We humans have, but – 
       It never happens till it happens. 

We can Not control Time –  
       Not even our own. 

The Master of the Universe controls that intangible, 
        And we Must submit to Him. 

I wonder how much of Time we waste 
        Trying to be in charge of something 
         Beyond our ability. 

If we focus on our own part 
          In the moment, 

Maybe we would appreciate life more, 
          And Time would not seem so intangible. 

Just something to consider. 

---