Pastward Shadows

simmering shadows
on a Saturday afternoon
can’t be expunged
from city corners
where couples
once met.

couples, now decoupled.

they were only softly joined
like cards in a pyramid.

couples, now decoupled.

it happens inaudibly
throughout the city
like children unstacking blocks.

twinned shadows cast
from distant apartments
finally
touch in cafes and park benches.

their edges vibrate with emotion.
they affect no one and nothing
in those places.

only the casters know
the darkness with which they drape,
the shapes of their absences.

two specters at tea,
silhouettes of what used to be,
are slots that young hopefuls
step into
on a Saturday afternoon.

George Seli is a New York City-based magazine editor and adjunct associate professor of philosophy. He has studied under two notable poets: Susan Mitchell at Florida Atlantic University and Campbell McGrath at Florida International University. His poetry has appeared in several journals, including The Conium Review, Seems, Epicenter, and Crab Creek Review.