Remember To Breathe
By Ashley O’Hare
When I was young I was taught
that breathing is involuntary.
If that is true, then why is each breath caught
in my throat when my blood pressure rises?
Why does my brain believe breathing is auxiliary?
Heartbeat, blinks, blood flow— none are prizes.
None can ever be bought.
None can be solved with 2-day shipping.
Surely it is not like my brain merely forgot
that it is not a burden to ensure my survival.
I must have a factory defect—
an integral malfunction.
Surely it is something that can be fixed
before I run out of oxygen
ashleyohare 