Breath

Breathe.... there is only
The air coming in, the air going out...
The soiled leaving, the cleansed taken in.

Breathe again.... life is sustained
Only by this act of renewal,
This miracle of being.

Breathe out again.... life is spared
By expelling that which
Has been used and contaminated.

Breath is life, and each breath
Is a starting over, an opportunity
To begin life anew, to recommit.

When we notice the breath,
We are able to recognize that every few seconds,
There is a chance to grow;

To step out,
To release that which restrains us, or
To cling to it ever more forcefully.

With each breath we take,
The path before us divides;
The direction we take is ours to choose.

H.M. 10/30/07 ©