Chasing Shadows – A Silent and Tragic Memory
Chasing Shadows
The perfect recollection
Of the moment
The one etched in time,
Written in stone,
Carved in the trees of the ancient forests
Unaware of uncertainty
When all things were as they should be
Before the damage was done
Unchanged lives
Objects in perpetual motion
Without collision
Untouched photographs of life
Memories perhaps,
But powerful enough to resurface again and again
Chasing shadows for far too long
Beyond my grasping reach
Silently mocking my feeble undertaking
Unwritten rules of abandonment
Thrust into a maelstrom of glass and steel
Settling dust and blood pooling on the pavement
That which was
Is suddenly no more
A last breath slipping into the atmosphere
Beyond a shadow of a doubt
Unseen, but not without second sight
Perpetually rewinding and replaying
Escape nothing more than a meaningless word
Casually tossed among vocabulary
As if it had never even been considered
Lines being cast off in succession
The departure now imminent
Yet the shadows continue spreading
All that remains of that thing some call family
Twisted car seats; one pink and one blue
Echoes of whispered intimacy
And silence…
Additional Readings:
Meaningless Tears – My Father’s Funeral
- When We Lost Control - October 13, 2025
- The Crumbling Space Around Me - October 10, 2025
- Sorrow - October 9, 2025

Heart-breaking, devastating loss – this piece is so emotive, Ralph. I feel tears welling up. So sad.
Beautifully emoted and penned Ralph, your phrasing is so succinct and poignant. Wonderfully expressed my friend.
Beyond words! It brought back memories, not so long ago, where we had lost many friends and family to multiple wrecks. Simply heartbreaking, but beautifully written.