Second Shadow

I’m sorry

if I scared you last night.

I saw the shadow

beside me

and

it never occurred to me

maybe

it was you

beside me,

that you wanted to be close,

that you might be scared,

lost out there in the shadow realm

without a mentor,

without a guide.

What if you still want to be

just as alone

on the other side

as you were committed to being

on this side,

but you wanted to be close, too,

without being close?

A ghost who

never wants

to haunt.

If that’s the case for you,

couldn’t that be the case for others

who simply want

to be

alone enough

and

still able to see and hear

the ones who still walk?

I’m sorry

I jumped so high

and

I’m sorry

I pulled away from your touch,

cold as it might be.

I’m sorry

I never knew

a ghost could have a shadow.

I never knew

a ghost could just pop up

and the dog wouldn’t growl. 

I should have known.

You would have loved him,

and he would have loved you.