I Am But A Shadow Poem by Mark Heathcote

I am but a shadow without substance
I cannot cling to flesh or the suns embers
I am but the flame yet not extinguished
I cannot dance amongst the moving waters
I am a harlequin fish with many rainbows
I cannot deny the liquid air I sit upon
I am a fly maybe with 3 extra chromosomes
I cannot deny either I have sisters or bothers
I am a puddle of reflection evaporating
I cannot deny I'm on a journey chasing tail
I am a goat forever butting and rutting
I cannot contain my breath or my thoughts
I am as lightning striking a weather vane
I cannot direct the weather or the stars
I am a ready-made suit being pulled at the seams
I cannot control the roll of larva or time
I am a mountain eroding downstream
I cannot prevent my dreams from this ascent
I am a river leaping over boulders...until
I cannot prevent landslides resting on my shoulders