The Shadow of Life
A poem about the quest for knowledge
Background
This is a poem I wrote in 1988 that was published in my high school’s art and literary magazine. I hope you enjoy the poem, and my selection of pictures to go with it.
The Shadow of Life
When I was just an infant,
My mind was as dark as night,
An endless void of shadows,
No perception of wrong or right.
As I grew, I learned to love,
To care, to hold, to learn,
My thoughts began to set off sparks,
And the shadows began to burn.
Gradually a candle stood,
Where shadows were only known,
Knowledge turned from dark to light,
But still the shadows roamed.
As I learned, the shadows recoiled,
And the candle became a ray,
Yet in the corner of my mind,
A shadow sat at bay.
No matter how much I’d ascertain,
The shadow still stayed around,
A riddle that was left unsolved,
Like a puzzle piece that can’t be found.
-Donald Raab
