Chasing Shadows

He had been running. Running like he had never run before. As quick as his feeble legs could carry him. As fast as his pain wracked body would permit. Faint intermittent glimpses of his quarry, spurred him on despite the despondency in his heart. His hollow chest wheezing with every step, he grasped for some measure of support at the despairing walls, single mindedly concentrating on his pursuit. Turning a blind eye to the pain coursing through his body, he frantically ignored his mind shouting out to him to stop please stop. At last he was close..or so he thought yes..it was finallywithin reach Summoning the last vestiges of energy, he made the final lunge. He leaped as his heart soared at the prospect of finally embracing happiness.

The dark clouds loomed before the moon, threateningly coming closer, appearing larger, more menacing. It was only a matter of time before they would swallow the moon in their vastness, blocking in totality, the slivers of silvery light, that shone radiantly upon the dark alleys. As he ran the clouds moved closer to the moon, riding on the back of a cold northern wind, which desperately tried to disperse the clouds, trying ever so hard to spread away the gloom seeping from them, so the moonlight could continue its bright journey. The wind wheezed as he did, and gave one final gust, bellowing with all the power it could muster, just as he made his final lunge filled with anticipation and elation, towards happiness..

The wind had tried its best. It failed to cause more than a slight momentary flutter amongst the densely bunched clouds. The moon, swallowed into the deep dark belly of the clouds, erased every trace of light, rendering the alleys as dark as a blind mans world.

He lay sobbing unable and unwilling to move, his fists closed over emptiness.

The shadow of happiness is hidden within the substance of sorrow.

Look for the moon in your life to find it, rather than chasing the shadow.

Let the breeze into your life every once in a while to dispel the clouds that threaten to mar the brilliance of your moon, even if only momentarily so.