I went within, to meet those memories
entrenched in me and trapped like root-bound trees.
They permeated all my living cells;
restricting healing breath and ringing bells;
alarming bells – and then the fight began.
At first, in fear, I mustered strength and ran.
A fight; a losing battle, to break free
was waging war so deep inside of me.
I watched that waging war and let it go
for now; but it could strike another blow.
I will not face this journey on my own.
Support ensures that I won’t be alone
and with each powerful breath, those memories
will flutter from the trees like falling leaves.
New shoots will grow as air begins to flow.
I breathe; release that bottleneck of woe.
The bottleneck has dissipated now,
allowing me to breathe again, somehow.
Behind that opened door, I see a path
of joy emerging from the aftermath.
I breathe.
© Sharon Kortas, 2014
Author’s Note
This poem came about because my doctor suggested that I get Andrew Weil’s “Breathing: The Master Key to Self Healing” out of the library, and come to her for a session to guide me through it. I did that on Monday and had a very cathartic experience that surprised her, the nurse and yours truly! I’m practising the exercises on the CDs daily as they are “safe” and easy to do without guidance. What a difference it is making to me!
Comments
I think we all forget in the rush of day to day life that simply taking the time to breathe allows us to gain much needed perspective. A wonderful message to be sure…a message that I needed today.
Mark Vincent
It’s really about someone struggling to cope with the everyday pressures of life. The roller coaster of emotional disturbance which can be overwhelming at times. The subject is winning the war (I think) with support from loved ones.
Wally Schwim