Fight With My Shadow Self

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 A Spoken Word Response to Creativity Is Our Business's National Poetry Month Invitation


Hear me perform it here


You know, my shadow self

she's a mean bitch. Takes no

shit. Fights with big ass words

and goes for anywhere she can land

a hit. I've spent a lot of time 

living that line "don't poke the

bear." But today the sun is rising

in a way that has me thinking

no, let's go there. Try as 

you might, Shadow, you keep 

losing this fight. The larger 

you loom, the starker contrast

my light. Each huff and puff

and protest when you don't get your way, 

only deepen the valleys and heighten the ramparts

that protect my play. You want

this vice, that vice. You're over 

there yapping about how worthless I am. 

I delight in your deluge, it gives me

something against which to take a stand. 

I'm not gonna tell you to fuck off,

or kick rocks or take a hike. 

I'd rather use your hate as compost

use it to take my sunflower seeds

to new heights. 

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