allegorism

still
really dark
with hints of light behind
me

so you could guess it’s six o’clock
six-thirty
since the time has not changed
yet
where DST’s applied

so
dark ahead
and
light behind and what could that mean

maybe
I’m in the cave with all the others by
Plato
with my posture set just right for
only shadows by which
to
know
the world

then if I could turn around
I could
behold the source
and even leave the cave to live
and
maybe lead
in greater
light

or anyone who takes on the awesome
task
to turn around

c l couch

“the allegory of the cave” by Plato and I’m going to get it wrong but in which we’re all inside a cave with light behind us, a fire; and in front of the fire are forms that are ideal in their nature, and the fire casts shadows on the wall before us, meaning that’s all we see of what’s ideal or even what is at all: we see only shadows

and if the allegory could be broadened out in scope beyond one cave to all the world, then we could say, as folk from Plato to C. S. Lewis have said—that we live in the Shadowlands

photo by Jose Murillo on Unsplash