Ruach

Breathe in, breathe out. Not deep enough to count

as a satisfying exchange of air.

Weight in my chest too easy to amount

as nothing more than a neglect of care.

I’ve been here before. I know all too well.

Hope for release snatch’d by Darkness’ lure

that promises freedom from His jail cell

and offers vengeance as the only cure

to lessen the sting of the aftermath

that lingers like petrichor after rain

or the imprint of boots on a dirt path.

Return to a state I cannot attain

is what makes me try for one more deep breath.

To trust in Peace that offers life for death.