Shadow things

     Shadows danced across the wall under the covers with a superman flashlight lighting the way. Six years old and the whole world belonged to your imagination. The small flashlight fits in your mouth freeing your hands that created shapes only you could make out to be. A giant bird, a stick man holding an umbrella. Slowly you twisted and turned your hands laughing at all the magic you and your superman light created. The laughter brought dad into your room peeking under the tent blanket, asking how it was going?

     He told you how he had made shadow people when he was your age and offered to share some with you. There wasn't much room in the blanket tent, but he squeezed in and with great fanfare introduced the mighty screaming eagle. It was the best shadow thing you had ever seen. Then in the blink of an eye and a few turns of his hands, there appeared a soldier wearing a helmet and carrying a rifle. He crawled out of the blanket tent and wished you a good night leaving you both amazed and proud.

     There were many more nights under the blanket tent with Superman lighting your way, each shadow thing better than the ones before. But eventually, Superman went dark, and the tent seemed a bit smaller. Shadow things went away, replaced with a small light on your bed stand that you read comic books by when you should have been sleeping. You loved that boyhood room with all its superhero toys and a drawer full of comics. You loved the way it fit you and the countless hours in the darkness when heroes came alive, and imagination went wild.

     Now when you feel depressed or concerned with the craziness of adulthood, you just close your eyes and put a small flashlight in your mouth,pull the covers over your head and the magical world of shadow things come to life and for a few minutes your back in your room with your dad making magic on dark walls. 

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