I didn't seek the solace in solitude
to be alone in revelations
surrounded by the past
shaped in ghosts floating
under each leaden step I take
or the discomfort in deadened silence
interrupted by short lullabies
unaware of these deaf ears
only listening for voices
that never come when welcomed
yet obtrude upon my body
in the barely wakened hours

But solitude seems to have sought
the presence of other minds
before me as I slumber peacefully
and I wake up shaken
perturbed in my solitary state
shrouded by shapeless shadows
sinking in without meaning
yet of simplest importance
as I tear through cobwebs
crushing so many filthy mirrors
reflecting my afterimages
to find a little flashlight
to disintegrate shadows into smoke
and a hope awakens inside
that once the dawn comes
plentiful batteries can be found