Shadow Dweller

Your words
are my shadow;
they follow
me wherever I go.

I can't rid myself
of their bitterness
or the bite I felt
when I heard them.

It's like you're saying
each syllable all over again
and I cannot breathe,
speak
or think
of anything
but how much
I wanted you
to just be quiet.

Silence was the one gift
you never gave me
until it wasn't yours
to give,
and now all I want
is to hear your voice,
even those words
that hurt,
again.

Instead
I am stuck
with your words
like the shadow
I cannot escape
except in the dark
where I cannot stay.