My mouth pressed shut
Air, speech everything
Builds up
In a silent scream meant for you

Fingers stretching, extending, aching
For your hand
Yours snatches away
From their light touch

I am your shadow
Ignored
Shoved back
Into my corner, what little right
I have to exist

So strangle me
Your invisible stalker
Disdained follower
Caught in light, in form
I am real
But rejected by you

I know you want to rid yourself
Of me, the shadow,
Stealing glances
Tearful, painful expressions
That brim with of fake guilt

Do you know pain?
Do you want to?
Then strangle me
As you do, with each degree
That you turn away

Know my passion –
My cast aside heart,

Your joke
Know my fear –
Sneaking up my spine,
Controlling my mind

It's a sad thing
Pitiful
But I want to follow
Walk beside you even

You have made me
Such a withered, grey, invisibe
Thing
That I can only realize
You would never allow it

So allow me
To grudgingly put gloves over my hands
My yearning wisps of fingers
Tie a mask tight over my shadow lips
Closed shut, clamped, locked
While the words pile up
How they want to spill out

--Sad, slow trudging behind
Framed by glaring, withering light
Or cast in doubt-ridden shadow
I'll follow you,
I promise
You'll never even know I'm there