The Shadow Knows
By: Danny Thomas
Man, aren’t feelings weird?
aren’t people?
we spend so much time
trying to fit feelings
into one word
descriptions
trying to fit all kinds of gray things
into black and white
boxes…
aren’t people?
we spend so much time
trying to fit feelings
into one word
descriptions
trying to fit all kinds of gray things
into black and white
boxes…
Trying to make
things that belong on a continuum
or a spectrum
into
binary arrangements…
things that belong on a continuum
or a spectrum
into
binary arrangements…
Trying to create linear archetypes
when all kinds of
deviations
exist…
when all kinds of
deviations
exist…
My life, lately,
has been
an extreme mix of emotions
in work, and family, and all around…
has been
an extreme mix of emotions
in work, and family, and all around…
isn’t it always?
And none of these things that are upsetting me
or distressing me,
has an easy answer or a
black or white resolution…
or distressing me,
has an easy answer or a
black or white resolution…
This morning
I walked ‘Zilla to school,
we played with our shadows
it was blissful
and fun
and kind of magical.
I walked ‘Zilla to school,
we played with our shadows
it was blissful
and fun
and kind of magical.
It put me in mind of
my relationship
with my shadow
when I was ‘Zilla’s age…
my relationship
with my shadow
when I was ‘Zilla’s age…
I thought my shadow
was thrilling, and mysterious…
I played with it
and sometimes
it played with me…
was thrilling, and mysterious…
I played with it
and sometimes
it played with me…
If I stayed too late
at the neighbor’s house
and had to walk home
at dusk
that pesky shadow of mine
used to chase me home
at the neighbor’s house
and had to walk home
at dusk
that pesky shadow of mine
used to chase me home
hide and jump out at me
from behind a bush…
or a light post…
from behind a bush…
or a light post…
and of course
I think Peter Pan
and his
shadow
had a pretty big impact on me…
I think Peter Pan
and his
shadow
had a pretty big impact on me…
and then…
that thought put me in the mind of
Jung
and Robert Bly…
that thought put me in the mind of
Jung
and Robert Bly…
and this whole idea of shadow work
and I have read Bly’s book
and a little bit of Jung and his
ideas about the shadow self
and a little bit of Jung and his
ideas about the shadow self
and it occurs to me
how similar the shadow work idea
is to the ideas I’m reading about
in Mary Sheedy Kercinka’s book
Raising Your Spirited Child…
how similar the shadow work idea
is to the ideas I’m reading about
in Mary Sheedy Kercinka’s book
Raising Your Spirited Child…
what seems similar to me,
between Bly’s idea of embracing the shadow-self
and Kercinka’s ideas,
is the central concept of
reframing…
between Bly’s idea of embracing the shadow-self
and Kercinka’s ideas,
is the central concept of
reframing…
finding the benefit
in something that is
initially perceived to be
detrimental…
in something that is
initially perceived to be
detrimental…
making these burdensome things into wings
I’m going to think about it some more
I think I need to re-acquaint myself with my shadow
and take a look at what’s going on in there…
I think I need to re-acquaint myself with my shadow
and take a look at what’s going on in there…
it must be packed with
a lot of things that look black
but have some white in them
and a lot of things that look white
but have some black in them too
a lot of things that look black
but have some white in them
and a lot of things that look white
but have some black in them too
I’m sure it’s just a lot of gray
things rolling around
rubbing colors
out of each other….
things rolling around
rubbing colors
out of each other….
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