Breathing

Breathing is
Staying hungry for life
Hungry for tomorrow

Breathing is the virtual reality of time passing
Time passing to the variable rhythms of inner sighs
The paced breath between words
Of speech or song
The pumped breath of the energetic
And the slow hush of the sleeper

Breathing is an equalizer
Politicians breathe
The wealthy must breathe
As do the poor

Breathing is inhaling a substance
In the immediate air space
And exhaling waste

So, are we guardians
Or manipulators of the air
Animals breathe
Plants breathe?

Now
In the 21st century
It seems we are mixing an obnoxious cocktail
Have we abused the Breath of Life?
Are we slowly inhaling our own waste?

Do we tamper with the right of all living things to life?

Breathing is valuing the quality of the air we breathe
It is our last hope separating our life from death

Are we
Hungry enough
To breathe
Tomorrow?