Escape Artist or Saboteur?

 If your hands are weak and shaking, 

get your teeth to do it. 

Bite through bones,

if the metal round your wrists is too strong.

If they made keys for these-

you could be a man with feeling.

As Houdini-

--mad, violent escape artist--

I've seen you sacrifice limbs

just to get away.

I paid you my pound of flesh

but you've still got me here

on Death Row

for a crime I did not commit.

I will be your selfless martyr,

if you insist.

You're the one who has to live with the Ghost of me.

And I'm content to be

a shade that makes your shadow darker--

the colorless things that haunt you

when you step into the light.

I wonder how you sleep at night.

Then again,

it's dark inside for all of us,

when we shut our eyes.

Reviews

[Aimee Mahathy]

Oh wow. I think you have to be my favourite poet I've found on here so far. I've been here a while now, but just from reading two of your poems, no one has impressed me near as much as you have thus far.
The words you choose are so vivid, so different yet they get the perfect thought and image across.
Sometimes when I go to read some new poems, I get a couple lines in and I'm bored. So I exit and try to find another. I can do that for hours before I read a whole one, and then a while more before I actually feel inclined to comment. But this? It drew me in from just the first line. From there I was compelled to keep reading. And here I am, commenting.
The thought behind this, I am assuming is that (excuse my very simple deduction) someone had hurt you (or the person who's point of view this is from) and the guilt from that will haunt this other person forever. Following them in their shadows and stalking them in nightmares. They took advantage of "you" and tried to make a quick escape, at any cost.
I think, though I have many favourites, my favourite line was "a shade that makes your shadow darker". The alliteration of "shade" and "shadow" was intoxicating. Two words that are so alike yet different enough to count.
Thank you for sharing this and bringing me some newfound faith in those who call themselves "poets".

[perfectlymetiKulous]

you are a wonderful poet. your command of imagery is amazing.
my heart skipped a beat when I read:
"I will be your selfless martyr-
if you insist.
You're the one who has to live
with the Ghost of me."

So insistently beautiful and touching.
What do I get from this? As a currently love-confused woman, I'd say that I get relationship advice from this, but then, that's just me. I'm going through things, lol. I enjoy the persistence, the dedication.

[Charles]

Good work, Peach. I particularly like the line 'a shade that makes your shadow darker' and the thought that we are all dark inside. I like the whole poem pretty much, but find the segue to Houdini and back a little distracting from the main thread. As for the message - perfectly clear. :-)