A Prayer to Breath

Be careful what you say,

for when you speak

you breathe.

And in breath,

all life speaks

through you in return.

Cycle unending,

even death a breath

released into a larger lung:

the greater to carry a spirit,

a thought, a memory.

Each of these,

life’s little metaphor

for the still

unending breath.

And life:

the breath of a lung

without boundary.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Heaven and Hell.

From void to dust,

from dust to clay,

clay to flesh,

flesh to new flesh,

new flesh to star stuff.

Breath unto breath

unto breath.

Now and forever,

amen.