"letter to a baby asthmatic"
my poem for the exhibition "Letters to My Younger Self"
My poem as featured in the exhibition "Letters to My Younger Self" on April 20, 2024 at Art on the Ave in NYC, curated by Massiel Alfonso.
breathe easy, baby, your breaths are not the battle though slippery spittle chases traces your lips breathe in, breathe out breathe in, breathe out respiration is a reflex each breath a reminder: reality is ours to mold and some things are rote yet required to survive asthma, allergies, and all will not cut you down though they’re trying their damndest what will cut you down are wolves in sheep’s clothing metaphors for people who behave like beasts tracking you as prey praying for your fall and you will fall prey but not for long your lungs will not fail you yet though they burst at the seams feeling bigger than your body rubbed raw against your ribs wheezing and pushed to their limit your intuition will fail when the wolves follow like fake fawning puppy dogs prepared to strike you down and you let them lap at your face starved for the attention but they will take you down down down and knock the wind right out of you yet you will get up and stand tall, again lungs expanding in your brave chest breathe in, breathe out breathe in, breathe out some things are rote and required to survive you have so many more breaths to take, baby, so many moments to take your breath away not asthma, allergies or aggressive wolves but life well-lived, well-loved and unconditional will capture your breath and hold it dear the beauty of a singular experience fleeting and precious breathe in, breathe out breathe in, breathe out you will be so much more than what they want to take away you will be so much more than what your body proclaims you will do so much more than survive