Poetry
Shadow Realms
CLIO’S CORNER
Shadow Realms
by Colleen Anderson
Where is the world whose noonday umbra
silhouetted smoldering herbs in grottos, and oracles
who lived darkness more than light?
Did they interpret marks
on walls hinting blood and burnished gold,
hope to delve the labyrinth
glimpsed beneath an elder’s wrinkled brow?
What became of unseen worlds that shed
luminance like tears
as arcane secrets danced with apparitions in the flame?
Oil lamps, smoking torches,
movement flickering at vision’s edge.
Mystics peered
at whispered places out of reach to all but shades.
Did phantom myths stalking shamans’ sleep
begin to let their blood,
pierce them with sharp-boned logic
and startle them awake?
Who worshipped false electric idols
the blinking neon eyes that scoured away all stygian knowledge,
shadow realms and shrouded mystery caves?
Where did the nether realm walkers go
when night and day shone, keeping dark at bay
What happened to the connection, plants
dreaming unconscious
shade, warming sun?
Who knew that souls vacating flesh must journey
unfathomed corridors of death,
and without shadow
light was not defined?
COLLEEN ANDERSON writes articles, fiction, and poetry, as well as being a copy editor. New works are coming out in Evolve, Shroud, and Alison’s Wonderland. Her poem “A Good Catch” just received an honorable mention in this year’s Rannu competition. Colleen is also an ordained minister in the ATC tradition and a member of the Knights of Scathach. Her blog is at http://colleenanderson.wordpress.com/ .
This poem originally appeared in Witches&Pagans #23 - Law and Chaos
