Breathe.
You would think something
so simple
and so
natural
would come easily,
right?
In
and
out.
No middle.
Just in---
and out.
But what if
there was no out?
Just the in
and in
and in more
until you're all puffed out
and
your face turns blue
and
you're left waiting
and waiting
for that right moment
to let it go.
And on the other hand
what if you kept
breathing out
until you were completely deflated
with nothing left;
to where your lungs become so desperate
for that nourishing air
that they simply
shrivel up and fade away?
Both
both of these things can be
remedied
with a gasp---
a gasp for life
for balance
for that sweet taste of oxygen
we take for granted.
That gasp
that breath
comes in laughter
and tears;
in shouting matches
and a baby's cry.
It can come in rapid bursts
or a drawn out sigh
but it
it is still there.
And it will always be there
until the day when we draw our last breaths
and leave this world
either as a snuffed out candle
or in a blaze of glory.
So take the time---
in
and
out
over and over
and remember
to breathe.