A Shadow's Burden

The soul's weight descends on the bearer in a blanket of worry
For something so insubstantial yet tethered to a foreign body,
There's a frightening power, a Newtonian attraction to its pull
The eclipse of the heart appears suddenly in the blink of a lifetime

Dark matters apply their weight handily on the human chest
The entire mass, the full pressure, a mountain of silhouettes
Fragments of grief, scarcity, and all manner of precarity
Step right on, send me your troubles care of the soul's sanctuary

As a boy I would run freely for hours and hide from my own shadow
Try as I could, God knows I tried, it was never out of my reach
As a parent, I've found that the toughest lesson I've had to teach
To my children, without a doubt, is that no one is promised tomorrow

A shadow's burden chases the notion of whimsy away
The upheaval leaves in its wake a patchwork of dismay
Heavy on the mind, the heart aches in search of a cure for the perceived defect
The body seeks solace, but only time can supply the blanket of neglect

A Shadow's Burden, a playlist

A soundtrack for this note. (spotify version)

• Mountain of When by Amel Larrieux
• Who's Gonna Take The Weight Kool & the Gang
• The Weight by Staples Singers
• Heavy On My Mind by Club Nouveau
• Hanging Heavy On My Mind by Doris Allen
• Beast of Burden by Donald Byrd
• The Weight by Aretha Franklin
• Step Right On by Young Disciples

See previously: The Laws of Grief and Rhythm of Loss

This internal displacement is part of a series: In a covidious time

File under: worry, life, concern, culture, observation, loss, perception, dread, grief, pressure, pressure, poetry, covidious, toli

Writing log: March 15, 2021