Recenter

Take a breath
And let it out.
Just let me breathe
In and out.
Slow this pulse.
Slow this pace.
Pull this heaviness
From off my chest.
Stop the chase.
I can run forever
But arrive nowhere, 
If you're not there.
Force the fear 
From all my veins.
Unclench these knotted fists
And give me something to grasp,
Something like grace.
Don't gaze on imperfections.
Let me pass before you now.
Don't only see my broken.
Don't let me only see 
What I haven't got
And what I might never achieve.
Let me breathe,
Just breathe,
And try to remember.
Try to recenter myself
On something other than myself.
Slow the clock's time.
Slow the world's spinning 
So I might catch my breath
And not be left behind.
My chest is a bomb
With a fuse ever shortening.
I am only myself,
And myself is not enough.
So reach out your hand,
Uncoil these springing clock's wires.
Reach out your hand.
Maybe your touch will remember 
What peace is actually like
Because there is no peace
And no breath, no relief, 
And no curable pain
Where it's just me and myself,
And so just let me breathe.
Just lift this pain from my heart.
Remind me, after another fresh breath,
There's always a brand new start.

(My apologies for not keeping up on answering comments and reading your blogs and commenting. It's been a stressful few weeks for my family, but I hope things will start winding down a bit, and I'll get back on top of everything.)