Member-only story
We can’t breathe
There’s an eastern belief
as we age
the center of our breath travels
across our body.
It begins at our stomach,
with an initial cry
and moves towards our chest,
Until it’s at our throat and then it ends.
I find myself purposefully
Forcing myself to continue to breathe from my stomach
Holding time
Hoarding youth
Grasping life
And I think about the last few weeks
As we globally experience the traumatic impact of COVID
The suffocation of Coronavirus victims,
The gasping of last breaths
The breathless pace of essential workers
The inability to have the necessary ventilators
to aid breathing
The anxiety self-isolation has caused
And its impact on how we breathe
the mandatory masks
And the protests
I can’t breathe
The uneven numbers of Black and Brown brethren
