Faye Hotchen: Breathe

Hi Warriors, 

I absolutely LOVE what Margi is doing with this. I often visit the Warrior Talk page when I am having a low moment and it always uplifts me so much. Thank you to Margi for starting and creating it.

I hope you all like my poem!

Breathe 

As a child that has grown 

Am I entitled to any less? 

Have I lost some of the Rights of Birth 

Some of the value of my core self 

As I have lost my innocence with my youth? 

Am I now but an empty shell 

A broken record, a cliché 

A dead horse beaten too many times 

‘Forever’ is shorter than advertised 

And perhaps ‘always’ has a loophole 

Am I once again the exception 

To the universal rules? All but one, 

The one being me. 

Must I work, slave away 

To an invisible master to earn my keep? 

Am I but a boarder in this life 

Landlord’s hand outstretched  

Awaiting my long overdue rent? 

No longer welcome, I travel as a nomad 

With the wind at my front. 

One step forward, three steps back 

I am pulled under 

Once again I succumb to the riptide  

Underwater, I cannot breathe 

But the thrashing tide taunts me 

Underneath would be so peaceful 

Deep enough there are no waves 

A tsunami would but stir the sand 

My will falls weak and I begin to sink 

Numbed by the calm of the sea. 

But wait! I cannot breathe down here 

A home for me? That was a lie 

I remember I must fight to breathe 

As I kick my legs, remember my body, 

My only companion in this war 

Tempted to stay below the waves 

I glance once more at my feet. 

The floor of the ocean, calm as it seems, 

Is no longer my destination. 

I know how to swim, I remind myself 

And begin to rise from the depths 

No longer expecting a restful tide, 

I emerge from the water 

Kicking my legs, treading the sea, 

I breathe. I choose to breathe.

Kind regards,

Faye.