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I Exhale

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Breathing

I exhale.
The breath born but a moment ago
recedes into the past
as I await the next breath to begin.

Because every breath
is a gateway between past and future,
breathing is an ever-present metaphor
for the temporal world in which we live.

Nature’s patterns proceed in rhythms.
Requiring belief in life’s continuity
in stark counter-point to the reality of our mortality.

With each breath
life continues
until it inevitably ceases.

But how do we encounter the moment just before we inhale?
Remembering the life affirming experience of the breath just passed;
the joys and sorrows encountered in its presence;
before confronting the uncertainty of what the next breath will bring.

Life cannot be sustained
by holding onto the last breath
despite how sweet and fulfilling it was.

The very essence of life is embracing the uncertainty of what is to come;
inhaling a fresh new breath,
creating a fresh new reality,
sustaining us into unknown tomorrows.

For each of us
each breath is different and unique;
essential to who we are,
who we decide we want to become.

I must look within myself;
choosing the appropriate moment to exhale.
Leaving the past to the miracle of memory.
Enabling me to inhale.
Beginning a fresh new life-chapter;
my chosen future.

By M. Linsk