How to Breathe

in bed again     same cinematic deliverance

playing for the sixth time this week     it seems

easier to get lost when I already know the ending

 

this morning I sewed your forgotten sweater

into an oversized pillowcase     a weak attempt

to reconcile the wreckage that was left behind

 

because my hands needed something to do

because I needed to focus on stitches not senses

 

to miss something that never truly existed

seems a terrible waste of time     and yet

I drift between giving up and getting on

like a buoy unbound in a somber sea

 

there is no pattern     no constant to cling to

hope sheds her scaled skin like a reptile

while I shut my eyes and try to remember

            how to breathe

Reviews

[Bear Girl]

"Focusing on stitches not senses." ❤️ So many ways we numb ourselves!

[Poeticme]

So much passion, so much pride....Very well penned my lady, I was clinging on every word, thanks for sharing

Poeticme

[Einstein Noodle]

well done! deeply emotive ..the first waking after the blow ..man can i relate ..it was like being rudely awakened, hit silly with a two by four..spun ten times around like in pin the tail on the donkey ..then told to get the hell to work ..you have responsibilities .. but crying all night has hurt and seared my eyes ..and i can't move .. boy do i ever relate my friend ..you have said it perfectly as far as i'm concerned ..wow ..for me it was so long ago but my thoughts of it have no problem resurrecting my dulled by years sensibilities ..really well done says i! i am right by your protagonist all the way
:((
E.
ps great title in my opinion

[Philip Muls]

Between giving up and getting on. That sentence describes what we all sometimes feel when hit by a great feeling of loss.

I enjoyed this poem very much.

[Patrick]

Brutally beautiful - provoked a lot of thoughts so excellent write

[A.J.]

I found in this a kindredship, and it hit with a personal hammer. very nice. thanks.

[Rikkevi Rue]

Perhaps the less lines of verse required to convey the complete package of emotion, reality, sentiment and context then the greater the poem. You have that mastery of a few simply turned verses that paint the complete story. But what impresses is the exquisite capture of those all telling snippets, a few drops of blood from the heart...

[Azure]

very deep and amazing you grabbed my attention and i can really feel this person desperation to breathe through the pain thanks for sharing

[Heather]

This is such an amazing piece Sarah! The title pulled me in. I have felt like this before and you have pulled me in so deep with your strong and soft words. You really know how to grab someone's attention! Good job :)

[Damien Thibodeaux]

Ooooo, I can relate, Sarah. Trying to survive heartbreak is such the struggle. You've said it all and captured the feeling through your perfect words. This is what I love about your poetry, you make me feel.