The Breath

A meditation on breath and spirit

The breath arises

From the silence

And tarries for a time

Before returning to

The mystery from which

It came.

It is seldom noticed

Unless it is restricted,

Seldom appreciated

Until it is denied,

Yet when it ceases

The body follows on

Cue.

How strangely is this

Visitor regarded,

This meek sojourner

Who labors unseen,

For it is the calling card

Of Being,

The announcement that the task

Is worth Its while.

Author's Note

Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.

Reviews

[Relic]

Yoga has taught me how important each breath is. This is a great poem on a subject I rarely see.

[John the Baptist]

Thanks. The breath is so accessible (until it isn't) that most of us fail to fully appreciate it.

[David Klay]

Each and every breath is a blessing and yes we seldom appreciate what a gift it is to being to take another breath. Excellent write, John.

[John the Baptist]

Thanks. Indeed, for such a vital function, it gets little attention. So much for accessibility.

[Dave Brown]

the whole package is quite amazing let alone just the breath
Each living thing on the planet
all functioning
quite amazing
we don't make some drastic changes that breath may be not worth inhaling

[John the Baptist]

Thanks. Sadly, you are correct.

[Robert Trakofler]

Well you caught my breath on that one some are long and some are short but they are all sweet:) this reminds me of the proverbial doctor spanking the newborn baby's bottom in the delivery room scene... nice lines John:) may your breaths billow on good sir

[John the Baptist]

Thanks, Bunny. Some breath may be bad, but it is still better than none at all.

[GeorgeE]

I liked this poem very much. It appeals so directly to the heart and mind and spirit and the breath that is our very being. Thank you.
GeorgeE

[John the Baptist]

Thank you. Glad to hear it appealed to both heart and mind, as that was my intent.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i think cats appreciate it more than we do...after all it is said they steal our breath when they can.
Just like most things...we don't appreciate what we have until it is taken away...
breath is so precious.
so nicely described here with your sense of poetics.
j.

[John the Baptist]

Thanks for your kind words, j. As the owner (or possibly, servant) of two cats, I can relate to your statement. Breath is not all they steal.

[Davidgeo]

Our breath is objectively finite... but is our consciousness? Our spirit? If they are infinite that fact would have enormous implications on the nature of time, distance, reality and logic. An infinite process doesn't have a last step. How can something without a last step be completed? It's one of the oldest paradox's in math, philosophy, physics. chemistry... pretty much every STEM field struggles with this question at some level.

[John the Baptist]

Thanks. Energy can't be destroyed and consciousness can't be explained.

[Davidgeo]

Yet. We might figure some things out in the next few hundred years. We'll probably be long gone before anything really spectacular gets figured out though. Stupid aging process... it's totally ruining my life, probably.

[Kelly Scheppers]

"It is seldom noticed unless it is restricted
Seldom appreciated until it is denied..."

How many breaths do we take a day without realizing how fortunate we are...to be alive and kicking. Much enjoyed, John!

[John the Baptist]

Thanks, Kelly. The breath is so accessible that we tend to forget it. But let it stop for just a moment.

[Kay Salisu Titilola]

Looking strictly at this piece,
I saw an image that reminds me
That life is nothing but just a breath,
That only last a few moments.
Inevitably we face its realities,
And we don't have choice but to welcome it.
But once it's ready to leave,
No one can ever detained it.

It's a blessing to still be alive.
Wonderfully written, John.

[John the Baptist]

Thanks, Kay. Interestingly, both breath and spirit are derived from the same root word.