Two Shadows

[J Hillenburg]

Two Shadows



Through his harangues and outrageous stunts,

infidelities and constant treacheries,

yet you love him.

What could inspire such idiot devotion

that self-flagellation becomes the

accepted norm?

Through his child-like tantrums,

infantile behaviors,

you smile wanly and pretend

that you have a family

brave, right, and strong.

Everyone needs their illusions, I suppose.

Two shadows accompany you

wherever you travel,

one of what you love,

and one of where you came from.


It seems desperate, frankly reeks

of desperation,

settling for a life of outrage simply

because you believe it to be true

and that you deserve no better.

Perhaps you do not.

Perhaps none of us do.

But I must judge you, as is my wont,

and pronounce the edict that

you are but a shadow yourself

that moves through life leaving absolutely

no impressions.


And your sentence will be to raise an

impractical brood

of dysfunctional, resentful children

who will render you forever hypnotized

when they reach some semblance of maturity

and go terribly wrong.

[lizzytysh]

You've captured the essence of a dysfunctional, co-dependent relationship very, very well, J. Who's to say we don't all have at least some element[s] of this in our own relationships; however, there are caseloads out there that measure up to every line.

~ Lizzy