Now my breath
returns to me like a precious
friend who is always there
I breathe in code
and exhale the warmth of summer
I inhale black and white
and exhale the miracle of color
my exhaled breath paints
leaves green and lilacs blue
my exhaled breath makes sunlight sparkle
I breath in confusion and complexity
and breathe out clarity and understanding
my breath creates the world
each time I breathe in and out
I don’t need to know the details
of my body’s architecture
I only need to breathe in and out
I don’t need to know all the names
things are given by seers and scholars
I only need to breathe
slowly in and out
-Michael Shorb whose work reflects an abiding interest in environmental issues, history, and the lyrical from. This is from his collection 2012
