Shadow

Alex Hamel

I am a shadow,
Not the absence of light,
But a gentle reminder,
That you were once me,
And I will be you.
I find the corner,
Yet remain in the way,
And I smile and nod,
Until my cheeks are sore.


I am a shadow,
Not the absence of light,
But a step or two behind,
And a question or four.
I wait and I listen,
For lapses,
And juxtapositions,
And I take wrong turns,
When dropping off labs.


I am a shadow,
Not the absence of light,
But a gentle reminder,
Of the light that exists,
Behind everyone.
I yearn for the day,
When I’m two steps ahead,
And I have a shadow,
To follow along. 

Alex Hamel is a second-year medical student at UMass Chan Medical School. He is originally from Concord, MA where his interest in poetry and literature began. This piece was awarded Honorable Mention in the 20th annual Gerald F. Berlin Creative Writing Prize.