Hard to see
Difficult to discern
But burns just under the surface
Hands shake
Breath grows shallow
Like smoke in a room
Lungs overwhelmed
Chest has a heavy weight
Focus-Focus-Focus
Keep up the Smile
No one knows the feeling of being
Burned alive-
inside to out
Breathe just Breathe
Count to three and thirty
Find the corner of quiet….
Stay in the created circle of safety
The worst has passed
On and on I go
Minute to Minute
Hour to Hour
Day to Day…
Until the hot coals
Underneath and within
gasp greedily
gorging on air as the coals are found
deep down inside
burning hotter and hotter
to fuel to fan to flames again….
The circle continues
The dog chases it’s tail
Frantic and in a losing cycle
The smoke twists and twirls up and up
Then disappears…
Until it begins again.
About the Creator
Brandis G.
Writing has always been one of my passions. Photography is a close 2nd for me- living in Montana there is no shortage of photo ops! 3 cats & 1 dog make up my furry family. I lost my husband and love of my life 5 years ago to ALS.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
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More stories from Brandis G. and writers in Poets and other communities.
Comments (2)
Thank you so much for the positive feedback. I’m really glad you enjoyed it. Feel free to share. The more attention mental health gets the better!
The cover photo is a great addition to the mood of the writing! Awesome work! I enjoyed this and really related to it :)