last breath

when blood spills on steel we may

hold our breath

when bad news hits hard,

maybe the dreaded word of death,

the c word for cancer,

the pycho ward,

the verdict,

our breath involuntary holds,

and so,

light headedness

the fainting spell

despite our will however strong

at times we hold our breath

it teaches us to know when we hold our breath its cool

to feel more alive,

reminds us well that's its okay to want again to breathe

our breath to hold by our will 

gives at times our desperate minds

to breathe again is cool

reminds ourselves a breath is precious still

consider those trapped underground

megatons of rock above,

with darkness deep profound

the panic suffocation chokes and gags

the spirit by the throat

a crippled airline flight

your withheld breath,

a freefall dive from miles above

high altitude of grief,

childhood pain,

five brothers on your chest

the panic fight, the muffled cry of fear,

the urgent need to take a breath ensues

hold your breath to challenged match

in underwater diver's plunge

until your lungs feel hot to burst

will make you feel alive

depression's weight on your soul

the pain despair withholds,

your wanting to breathe in

its ugly claws tears your heart and mind

kills you slowly at a time

suffocates your wanting to live on

you hold your breath crying out

in silent agony,

but soon enough you suck in air

for another try

another moment, however brief

of vital respiration

although you feel dead inside

you're somewhat glad you're still alive

your last moments on this earth

might make you love the last breaths that you take

for you hold and contemplate

the slow inhale,

slow exhale

when you by circumstance,

see a living picture come serene,

a mother holding baby to her breast

sunshine reflecting off a young girl's hair

walking on a foot path in early morning air

you might think you must have courage 

sometimes just to take another shallow breath

must have strength sometimes just to live another hour

as you slowly suck it all in

you make another deliberate inhalation

it may not be that you're afraid to die,

but more that you'd rather live