Poem-Shadow Self and Learning About Shadows-Response to Word Prompt of Week 22

I love poetry. I am a voracious reader and am passionate about writing. I have recently started my foray into poetry.

Word Prompts Help Creativity-week 22

Brenda, esteemed author and a great poet herself, encourages us in our poetic journey by giving us word prompts every week. We can come up with either a poem, song, short story. This week Brenda gave us the word prompt ‘Shadows’. The moment I saw this prompt, I was reminded of the method we adopted to remove the fear of the dark and the shadows on the wall for my granddaughter. So I decided to write about it so that it may be of help to other parents of small children who may have to deal with their child’s fear of the dark and shadows.

My first poem is an acrostic poem.

This acrostic poem is about overcoming the hidden fears and anxieties by communicating with our inner shadow self to overcome the repressed feelings hidden in our subconscious. This way we can overcome the darkness within us and realize our true potential.

What is Shadow Self?

Famous psychologist Carl Jung defined our shadow as the dark side of our personality that is full of uncertainty and governed by base level animal type instincts. He was deeply invested in the research of ancient esoteric knowledge and spiritual scriptures to not only treat the mind but also the soul of man.

As per the psychologist, this concealed energy which is a part of the individual’s shadow is kept secret, locked away in the subconscious sometimes this shadow appears in our dreams. When we are able to connect with this shadow, we can recognize what we are holding back or repressing and address it. This way it can be a positive effect, freeing us and letting us enjoy life.

We all have different traits that make up our overall character. They are a combination of good and bad thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Every person’s character with his or her own mental and moral qualities is unique. These in turn influence our behavior in situations we face daily and the way we interact with people.

Among the different traits, one is more dominant which influences all our behavior and our overall nature. Other people recognize us due to this dominant trait. When we connect with our inner shadow self, we can successfully transform repressed parts of ourselves, creating more psychological and spiritual balance. Many spiritual seekers believe that all the negative qualities within ourselves can be transcended when we awaken our higher selves, or work through our karmas or become more enlightened.

Beneath the social mask we wear every day, we have a hidden shadow side: an impulsive, wounded, sad, or isolated part that we generally try to ignore. The Shadow can be a source of emotional richness and vitality, and acknowledging it can be a pathway to healing and an authentic life.

— C. Zweig & S. Wolf

Secret Shadow Self-An Acrostic Poem

Secret shadow self

Hidden in your subconscious

Allow it to speak to you

Discover your potential

Overcome the darkness

Work to bring out the best in you.

Fear of Shadows in Children

Small children are often afraid of the dark, and of the shadows on the wall. It is believed that children up to age six have difficulty telling the difference between the real and imaginary. So naturally when they see the shadows on the wall, they imagine fearful things and get scared. Many parents use shadow puppets nowadays to remove such fears in children.

These puppets can easily be made at home by cutting shapes out of black paper and attaching them to craft sticks. A kid friendly flashlight and a dark room are also needed. Create a lighted area on a wall with the flashlight in a dark room and show the child how the puppets cast shadows on the wall.

By describing how the light creates this shadow and how sometimes things look scary though in reality they are not, the child’s fear of shadows can be addressed. It is a form of play together with learning for children. Moreover, playing with shadows is great for developing focus, motor skills and self-control for young children. It also opens a whole world of imagination for them and is easily accessible as long as there is sun shine.

A Fun Way to Learn About Shadows

I decided on a fun way to teach my granddaughter about shadows. On our visit to the park on a bright day, I described to her how shadows are made and we had fun playing with our shadows. She learnt how shadows show the shapes of objects. We danced with the shadows and then took pictures of our antics. Her furry friend Ambar added to the entertainment when she tried to chase the shadows. We had a memorable, fun outing and some education that day at the park. This poem is about our visit to the park and how along with the fun, it was a learning experience about shadows for the child.

Pictures of shadows of swings and lampposts

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Poem-Learning About Shadows

On a bright sunny morning

I took out my camera

And along with my little girl

Went on a fun trip to the park.

She was fascinated by the shadows

She saw of things at the park

Of swings and lampposts

Of herself in different poses

And of her little furry friend.

We took pictures of the objects

And the shadows they made

While Ambar chased the shadows

She had fun running behind her pet.

Later we printed the pictures

And she enjoyed matching

The shadow to its picture

We called it the shadow game.

A fun way to learn about shapes

And the shadows they make

Also learn to be proud

Of her own unique shape.

She picked a picture

Of her own favorite pose

And added it to her scrap book

To gift it to her dad on his next birthday.

© 2021 VIDYA D SAGAR

Comments

VIDYA D SAGAR (author) on July 28, 2021:

Thanks Flourish for the visit and comments. Much appreciated. Yes she sleeps alone in her room now. The experience with shadows worked. I am grateful for that. I am glad you liked the acrostic poem . Have a great day and stay blessed.

FlourishAnyway from USA on July 28, 2021:

I especially liked your acrostic poem. I hope your granddaughter overcomes her fear of the dark.

VIDYA D SAGAR (author) on July 27, 2021:

Thanks Pamela for the kind words. I am glad you liked my response. My granddaughter is very scared of the dark. So we used this fun method to help her get over her fear of shadows and darkness. I am glad it worked. Have a great week, stay blessed.

VIDYA D SAGAR (author) on July 27, 2021:

Thanks John for the kind comments. I am glad you liked my response to Brenda's word prompt. Yes I was particularly attracted to the spiritual aspect of Carl Jung's theory. It felt true that we all have shadow selves which we try to hide from the world. I liked his theory that by addressing our dark selves we can not only attain peace and success in life but also relate to other people better. Have a great day and stay blessed.

VIDYA D SAGAR (author) on July 27, 2021:

Hi Chitrangada, thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated. Yes I liked Carl Jung's theory that by connecting to our inner higher selves, we can overcome negative emotions and thoughts and attain peace and spiritual goals. Children learn a lot through play and it can also be used to help them overcome fears and anxieties. Have a great day and stay blessed.

VIDYA D SAGAR (author) on July 27, 2021:

Thanks Lora for the kind words. Much appreciated. Children are always attracted to play and games. So I thought we could use that to conquer her fear. Instead of hiding our inner dark shadows of fear and negativity, if we try to overcome them by recognizing and addressing them, we can achieve peace and joy and relate to others better. I admire Carl Kung too. Have a great day. Stay blessed.

VIDYA D SAGAR (author) on July 27, 2021:

Thanks Manatita. Your appreciation made my day. I am glad you liked it. Brenda gives us wonderful word prompts. It gives us a chance to contemplate on the different aspects connected to the word. The spiritual and esoteric always attract me. Have a great day, stay blessed.

manatita44 from london on July 27, 2021:

Vidya ji I love your initial take on shadows and the wisdom brought to it by Carl Jung and other quotes.

Your take on it with children is also admirable. Excellent work!

Lora Hollings on July 27, 2021:

You did a wonderful job with this prompt, Vidya. What a clever and fun way to help your granddaughter get over her fear of shadows. And your poem was delightful. You also included some very good information about Carl Jung who was my favorite psychologist. We need to explore the shadows of our personality so that we can grow spiritually and in our ability to relate to others. Thank you for all your excellent information!

VIDYA D SAGAR (author) on July 26, 2021:

Dear Brenda, thanks for the wonderful comments. I am so glad you liked it. Children lean things faster when there is play and fun in it. So this week's word prompt reminded me of our game at the park to teach my granddaughter about shadows. Spiritual teachers often advise people to search our inner selves and not to hide our dark selves but to bring it out and overcome the fears and create a true balance. Keep encouraging us with your wonderful word prompts Brenda,we really love this exercise.

BRENDA ARLEDGE from Washington Court House on July 26, 2021:

Vidya

In your introduction you tell us the word shadow reminded you of the method you adopted to remove the fear of the dark and the shadows on the wall for your granddaughter.

Then you talk about our connecting with our shadow self to overcome the darkness we hide inside.

You say our shadow is the dark side of our personality which we often keep locked away in our subconscious.

Sometimes we find answers in our dreams.

We all have good & bad thoughts, emotions & behaviors that we use to communicate with others.

Once we connect with our hidden shadow self we can create a physiological and spiritual balance that brings more peace and enlightenment to our lives.

So in a nutshell, we suppress or hide this dark side of ourselves. Once we realize this and allow our dark side to come out, we can create true balance in our life.

In your poem, "Secret Shadow Self-An Acrostic Poem", you tell us to let our inner shadow self speak to us and become our true potential.

Great message.

In "Fear of Shadows in Children", you show us how to use shadow puppets to help children overcome their fear.

I love your quote with the picture of piglet and the shadow.

Then you write a short poem describing how you took pictures of the shadows made by objects.

Then printed them out so the little one could learn what a shadow truly is...like the shadow of her pet.

This sounds like a great way to teach a small child and let them have fun along the way.

In your poem, "Poem-Learning About Shadows" you tell how you used your camera while having fun at the park.

Your little girl loved learning about these shadows seeing herself & her furry friend.

Your last poem tells how an educational a trip to the park can be to teach a little one about shadows.

She had a day full of fun as well.

So much so, she picked out her favorite picture to put in a scrapbook to give to her dad.

You did a great job telling us what our inner shadow self is & how to teach a young one not to be afraid of shadows.

We all have an inner shadow where we keep those dark conflicts and emotions.

I like the idea of bringing them to the surface and making our life balance.

Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on July 26, 2021:

Hello Vidya Ji.

This is a great response to the word prompt, shadows.

I liked your explanation of the term, Shadow self. There is no doubt that, everyone has their own inner fears, doubts, anxieties etc. and sadly most of these are negative traits. One must work hard to overcome these negativities.

Yes, children do have certain fears, and darkness and shadows may be one of them. You suggest some helpful solutions, which might work for the child, through your poem.

Nicely interpreted, and well done. Thank you for sharing.

BRENDA ARLEDGE from Washington Court House on July 26, 2021:

Vidya...

I posted the link in the word prompt article, but I haven't had time to read it yet.

I'll get back with you.

John Hansen from Gondwana Land on July 26, 2021:

A fun and educational article, addressing Brenda’s prompt very well. When I was researching about shadows I cam across a lot of Carl Jung quotes and references as well. Analysing how shadows effect people was obviously a big part of his work.

Well done Vidya, and thank you for sharing.

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on July 26, 2021:

I like your acrostic poem and all the rest. This is an excellent response to Brenda's prompt, Vidya. I know children can be afraid of shadows when they are young. You addressed that topic also. Thanks for sharing your very good poetry.

VIDYA D SAGAR (author) on July 26, 2021:

Thanks Peggy for the visit and kind comments. Yes she was very scared of the dark and shadows. This was a fun way for her to overcome the fear. I am glad you liked my response. Have a great day.

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on July 26, 2021:

I like how you addressed a young child's fear of seeing shadows. Good work and a great response to Brenda's word prompt.