Shadows

I feel them following

They’re always with me at night

I see nothing when I turn around

They twirl around with me

Dancing with fear in a swirl

Part of me knows they aren’t real

My feeling makes them real

The act of looking makes them real

Closing my eyes, they aren’t real

I can spot them inside my eyelids

Shifting shapes of my vision

A trick of the light?

A truth of the dark?

Too dark, the night light should be on

I can't tell if my eyes are closed or open

My hands swipe empty air

My feet fumble foolishly on the floor

My mind panics searching for something safe

I fall into the emptiness

Past the floor, I should have hit a moment ago

My stomach turns

A spike pierces my lungs on a sharp inhale

The exhale leaks out of my mouth

My muscles relax, floating loosely, I can't move them anymore

My eyes move, but I can't tell which way

The darkness does not change

My head floats upwards leaving my body below

I see myself in the light

Dancing with shadows