BY ANGELA SWANSON

When life feels like an equation

 impossible to solve and wrong

Answers cause nothing

But pain

 

Speaking

Even writing

May be difficult to produce

Offensive, misunderstood —

 

 

 Tremendously, colossally

 Frustrating—words falling crashing down on us—

 Hurting  like rocks would

 

Breathing— on the other hand —

 

Comes easily (for most of us)

Even if we need a little help—

 

So

Breathe

 

Take It Easy

Like the Eagles song

 Or whatever makes you smile

Without trying

 

Breathe

Take whatever you need

From the air

And the generous trees

 

Breathe, friend

Beloved one

But DON’T YOU DO IT JUST BECAUSE

YOU’VE BEEN TOLD

HOW TO FIX YOURSELF!

 

Do it because

—you already know

How

 

Breathe until you do it

Deeply

And freely

 

 

 

when you have done it long enough

To know life is not

A problem in itself—in the laugh of a baby

  The smile of a dog

The beat and the color of your heart

 Of course the roll of the waves on the ocean

 

When you know

Those things are good again

 

Perhaps

Let us hope that

 

 

Spoken words around you will fall

 

 

Gently as snowflakes

 

 

Autumn leaves

 

 

Or seeds

Growing flowers

In sunshine