Poetry Archives

Watching the shadows, the fire-light shadows,
  That gather and play on the wall;
Dark, flitting shadows, fanciful shadows,
  That gather and rise and fall.
Reading the fire shadows’ language of shadows,
  Pages of darkness and light—
        Watching, watching,
  Watching the shadows to-night.

Watching the shadows, the fire-light shadows,
  That over the wall fitful play;
Dreaming of shadows, dreaming of shadows,
  Deep darker shadows than they.
Heart-shading shadows, soul-darkening shadows,
  Flitting in memory’s light—
        Dreaming, dreaming,
Watching the shadows to-night.

Watching the shadows, the fire-light shadows,
  Merrily dancing about,
Wondering if heart-shadows vanish like shadows,
  When life’s fitful flame has gone out;
Wondering if shadows are deep, darker shadows,
  Aeons of ages of blight;
        Wondering, wondering,
  Watching the shadows to-night.