That desperate breath
A prayer you made to yourself
For control over your own body
To bolster crumbling emotional walls

That futile breath
An attempt to restrain unexpected tears
To pretend nothing is wrong
To delay the inevitable break down

That disgraceful breath
Air rushing in, too strong, too fast
Raggedly, filling frozen lungs
Nowhere to go, impossible to stay

That savage breath
Fails stupendously, resoundingly
Releasing half of a gasping sob
And the last remnants of control

That vital breath
Too weak for a disguise
Strong enough to break you open
When you thought you needed to hide