I woke up screaming
a blanket of blood thick and heavy on my skin.
I was met by a circle of strangers each with an attentive gaze on me full of urgency and purpose,
My world was bright
and it held an overwhelming lack of color
I was malleable to these people
my body like clay
was completely at their disposal
They would mold me into the right shape so I could be like one of them

While in the womb my lungs only knew fluids
then after I was born
I broke through the veil of elements and air was invited into my body
Air which filled me wholly and inflated my lungs like balloons
Air made my body rhythmic and helped my chest learn to keep time
it helped me define the first separation from one reality into the next