Becoming A Shadow

[Wolfchild]

I hadn't planned on ever posting this, but it seemed apropos to a recent thread, so why not?

Becoming A Shadow

The sun was taken from me.

It was once my friend,
back during the time of hugs,
and of games,
and of, "I love you."
It warmed me in the mornings.
I thought that it gave me a friend:
a shadow to follow me through my day.
A friend that ran with me,
and played with me,
like no brother or sister could.

But I was wrong.

The sun didn't care about me.
It's warm, yellow embrace was a lie.
I was just in it's way.
The sun wanted something else.
My shadow was hunted by the sun.
I was it's guardian.
In all games, it was always careful
to stay hidden behind me.
The sun was just waiting
to get my shadow.

Now my shadow is gone.

I protected it as I played
without even knowing.
I wish it could have told me.
I would have helped more.
I don't know how.
Maybe just me wanting to
would have been enough.
Just telling its secret to me,
might have made it feel better.

I know how secrets can be like that.

I don't know what happened to my shadow.
I hope it got away.
Exactly when it left, I don't remember,
but I can guess.
Then I couldn't help it anymore.
Then I couldn't even help myself.
The sun is hunting me now.
It wants to catch me in its fiery grasp,
and there is no Elias
to protect me as I play.

Now I have become the shadow.

[a_contemplative_life]

In the film we don't get very much insight into what Eli thinks about being caught in the sun. In the novel, we have "Eli ran. The sun threw itself over him like a hungry lion, biting itself into his back. Eli almost lost his balance as he was thrown forward by the sun's physical, howling force. Nature vomited its disgust at his transgression: to show himself in sunlight for even one second."

I would think, especially for a child, the inability to see the sun would be a very hard thing. And to perceive the sun as your enemy, even worse. I like Wolf's poem because it highlights the pathos of a playful, childlike Eli losing that part of herself.

[DMt.]

A desolate mood, and quite appropriately, I think.

[PeteMork]

Very nice take on Eli's despair and feeling of 'otherness' -- the contrast between what he was and what he now is. That he once had substance in his link with humanity, but has now become etherial; just a part of legend and folklore.

[moonvibe34]

I like Wolf's poem because it highlights the pathos of a playful, childlike Eli losing that part of herself.

I second that view.