My lungs are screaming.
I grab at my chest,
as if this gesture
will somehow relieve the pressure.

Breathe in,
feel the resistance
as the harsh air burns
through your trachea.
Your body shudders,
protesting,
and then giving in.

Breathe out.
Relief.
There is air
in this world.
You can breathe.
He can't take that away.
No one can.
You are in control.

One more breathe.
One more day.
Slowly
learning to live
again.

Music is your inhaler.
Take daily,
as needed
to free your heart
from the pain.
To free your lungs
from the ropes
that bind them closed.