In the Shadows by Velvet Skies

In the Shadows is a hauntingly atmospheric piece that weaves a story of power, deception, and the slow corruption of a man who rises from nothing to control everything. Written by Samuel E. Burns, this poem captures the gritty, almost cinematic essence of ambition set against the backdrop of a city where the streets pulse with secrets and the skyscrapers are as cold and sharp as the characters who inhabit them.

From the opening lines, Burns sets the stage with a vivid cityscape: "Concrete towers reaching to the sky." The imagery here immediately evokes a sense of both isolation and potential, framing the city as a sprawling beast where every deal is a step toward greater power—and greater danger. The protagonist, a son following in the footsteps of a father, is driven by ambition and the allure of success, but with a heart tainted by deceit. His journey is not one of morality, but of survival and dominance.

The lawyer figure who shadows him throughout the piece is the embodiment of the city's cold, calculating underworld. The "veil of deception" is perfectly fitting for someone who hides behind a professional smile while pulling strings from the shadows. There’s an eerie tension in the lawyer’s constant presence, almost like a mentor who teaches through manipulation rather than wisdom. Together, they are a force—one that builds and destroys with equal ease, as evidenced by the rising and falling buildings, symbolic of their world-changing influence.

Burns uses the city itself as more than just a setting—it becomes a character, a silent witness to the rise of a legend, whose story is never fully told. The repetition of "Never to be told" at the end underscores this theme, creating a sense of foreboding. This is a story buried in the shadows, untouched and unsung, like the ghost of something that was too powerful, too dangerous to speak of.

The poem's rhythm and flow contribute to its brooding atmosphere. The sharp, almost disjointed lines mirror the fractured morality of the characters. The use of imagery, like "a machine greased in souls," is both chilling and poetic, reinforcing the sense of dehumanization that accompanies the pursuit of unchecked power. The city, with its "quiet hum" and "memories mysterious," stands as a metaphor for the hollow victories of those who play the game from the shadows, building something grand, yet ultimately empty.

Ultimately, In the Shadows explores the cost of ambition and the emptiness that comes with a life lived in pursuit of power, untethered from any moral compass. The legend they create is one of silence and solitude—an existence shaped by the invisible threads they pull, and by the shadows that will forever obscure the true story. Burns leaves us with a sense of unanswered questions, lingering mysteries, and the cold realization that some legends are better left untold.