Breathe in, don’t breathe out
More stories from Sofia Hargis-Acevedo
This was taken the day that this poem was based on. It was the first time in a while that I had felt so good, and I didn’t want the feeling to slip away.
Breathe in
the faint aroma of a light rain shower
and musk from the trees that have had snow resting on their branches for
too long
and the car air freshener that leaves lilacs
lingering in the air
Breathe in
the contagious laughs of your friends that
echo
in the back of your mind
and the booming music coming from the car speakers
and the absurdly enjoyable smell of gasoline
Breathe in
the skipping down the parking lot after
seven hours
of being inside,
and then being greeted by
irrefutable light and warmth
Don’t breathe out, because this moment will leave as quick as it came
Breathe in
the moment
of peace
of joy
of being
for the first time
in forever.
And don’t breathe out.
Don’t breathe out,
for the aroma of rain
and the musky trees
and the car air freshener
will dissolve right in front of you
and the echoing laughs
and the reverberating music
and the gasoline
will slip into oblivion before you can say
farewell
and the moment
of peace
of joy
of being
will feel like it had never
existed.
Don’t breathe out,
because this moment will leave
as quick as it came,
and who knows the next time you’ll
feel this again.
Sofia is a senior entering her fourth and final year writing for The Central Trend. She has grown up a writer and cannot picture herself as anything but....
