Eclipse

I felt him before I saw him,
his gaze following me down the frozen aisle
like a shadow, his left hand resting
on the thick glass case.
I knew what he was seeking--
illumination, acknowledgment,
to absorb my light.
But I had woken up changed.
Last night’s moon had reminded me
that it wasn’t my job to light others up,
but rather to reflect the power of the sun.
My light wasn’t anyone’s to possess.
In my desire to be wanted I hadn’t realized
I was keeping others from finding their own within.
I turned, walked toward him,
for the first time floating, sovereign, free.
His seeking glided across me
like a remembering, like a gentle wind,
like the earth’s shadow moving
across the face of the moon.