Pastward Shadows
simmering shadows
on a Saturday afternoon
can’t be expunged
from city corners
where couples
once met.
couples, now decoupled.
they were only softly joined
like cards in a pyramid.
couples, now decoupled.
it happens inaudibly
throughout the city
like children unstacking blocks.
twinned shadows cast
from distant apartments
finally
touch in cafes and park benches.
their edges vibrate with emotion.
they affect no one and nothing
in those places.
only the casters know
the darkness with which they drape,
the shapes of their absences.
two specters at tea,
silhouettes of what used to be,
are slots that young hopefuls
step into
on a Saturday afternoon.
…..
This poem is from the chapbook Making Figures in the Ward by George Seli (Finishing Line Press), and can be found at https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/making-figures-in-the-ward-by-george-seli/
George Seli is an editor and adjunct associate professor of philosophy. Over the last twenty years, his poetry has appeared in a variety of journals including The Conium Review, Seems, Epicenter, Crab Creek Review, and Indefinite Space.
The Paddock Review 