Between Breaths
Poetry on Self-Care
It's International Self-Care day, and the best way to mark it is with a tribute to ourselves.
Because when we put ourselves first, we avoid putting others last.
🪶🪶🪶 Between Breaths 🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶 Between Breaths 🪶🪶🪶
Trudging home, feet walked and worn,
The fractured hum of traffic,
Chirps of birds--
A question lingers--
Did her feet sleep today?
Or merely stop
Between one to do
And the next?
🪶🪶🪶 Between Breaths 🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶 Between Breaths 🪶🪶🪶
A twinge in her shoulder, with dry lips
She tilts her jug--
Not a drop to drink.
When did her compact last show--
Show black and blue bags that weighed?
🪶🪶🪶 Between Breaths 🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶 Between Breaths 🪶🪶🪶
Her feet slow--
No path to turn.
The wind lifts her hair
In quiet reprieve.
A shop window reflects--
HERSELF.
🪶🪶🪶 Between Breaths 🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶 Between Breaths 🪶🪶🪶
No reset.
No solution.
Just a drop.
A tune--perhaps.
Sleep-- deserved.
Perhaps nothing.
But her.
🪶🪶🪶 Between Breaths 🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶 Between Breaths 🪶🪶🪶
A bird flits across her path.
A smile stretches--
Really reaches
The other side.
🪶🪶🪶 Between Breaths 🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶 Between Breaths 🪶🪶🪶
No answers
For her feet--
But she draws her first breath.
At least today.
🪶🪶🪶 Between Breaths 🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶 Between Breaths 🪶🪶🪶
She takes small steps.
Forward.
🪶🪶🪶 Between Breaths 🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶🪶 Between Breaths 🪶🪶🪶
For Vocal's Somewhere Between Here and There challenge:
And Mikeydred's July Prompt:
About the Creator
Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin
Hi, i am an English Language teacher cum freelance writer with a taste for pets, prose and poetry. When I'm not writing my heart out, I'm playing with my three dogs, Zorra, Cloudy and Snowball.
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Comments (5)
Those little moments are so valuable. Sometimes they are all we have.
I love this beautiful reminder about the power of pausing.
Nice beautiful
I can feel her exhaustion. Loved your poem!
How beautiful 🌼🌼🌼