breathes in and out
with the sound of a
rushing Colorado river
when she nods to me
I inhale and exhale
like an elderly man
with a prostate problem
she tells me that I am
holding my breath
that I must let it
flow freely
I try, but it makes me dizzy
and soon I have forgotten
how to breathe entirely
I fear I might drown
with her hand on my stomach
she tells me to breathe
with my diaphragm
not my nose
which makes no sense to me
suddenly I am an alien
with a malfunctioning respirator
and earth's atmosphere
threatens to crush me
could there be anything more
elementary than breathing
it is the first thing we do
when we enter this world
and the last thing we do
when we leave it
and yet here I am
stuck in between
trying so hard
to get it right
as if taking a breath
were like taking a class
and respiring
the newest Olympic event
how do I become a babe again
like before the storms came
and taught me to hold my breath
to survive the unexpected waves
that forced me underwater
tossed me like a stray sock
in a washing machine
I learned to gasp
when I had the chance
quick sharp breaths
for long hard times
and so air has become
a commodity for me
and I am a miser
holding on for dear life
feeling like I am keeping it
when really it is keeping me
the only way to be free
is to be generous
and in letting go, I am inspired
I just had to gulp in a few deep breaths! It's a tricky thing, breathing. The more we think about it the less natural it feels. But practice makes perfect and when push comes to shove, our bodies will tell our brains to shut up and just get the job done.
ReplyDeleteIn church one day the minister was talking about how God's name in Hebrew (YHVH) cannot be pronounced, but it can be breathed. God's most ancient name... breath
ReplyDelete