Albatross — Shadows

WHEN THE SHADOW FADES Silence… Standing where the daylight breaks, You never knew What was carrying your weight. ⸻ Every scar was another page, Every breath another cage. Steel and rust beneath my skin, Built a war I’ll never win. I chased ghosts through broken skies, Fed on truth wrapped up in lies. The light exposed what fear concealed, A wound that never learned to heal. Machines keep grinding, Hearts keep dying, Every step another chain. ⸻ Maybe I was never walking by myself, Maybe something carried all the weight. Waiting for the darkness, Waiting for the silence. ⸻ Every time you turned around in the sunlight, You saw your shadow following you. It was always there behind you, Pushing you, Whispering, “You’re not alone.” When the storm comes And the sunshine goes away, The shadow fades, And all you ever saw Was you. JUST YOU! ⸻ The rain erased the outline first, Leaving only what was cursed. No one left for me to blame, Just the man behind the name. Every fracture, Every scar, Every war became my own. I kept reaching for a ghost That never needed flesh or bone. ⸻ If the light was all a lie, If the shadow was my guide, Then who am I When everything goes black? ⸻ WHERE DO YOU RUN WHEN YOU CAN’T OUTRUN YOURSELF? THE SHADOW NEVER CHAINED ME! I DID! THE SUN DIDN’T SAVE ME! THE STORM DIDN’T BREAK ME! I BUILT MY OWN PRISON— NOW WATCH ME TEAR IT APART! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! ⸻ When daylight disappears, The truth remains. Not a ghost, Not a curse. Just every choice, Every fear, Every face I tried to hide. The shadow never left. It became me. ⸻ Every time you turned around in the sunlight, You saw your shadow following you. It was always there behind you, Pushing you, Reminding you, You were never alone. Now the storm has come, The sunshine slips away, The shadow slowly fades. And all that’s standing here Is me. THIS IS ME! ⸻ When the light returns, Will the shadow follow, Or will I…