Breath
By TG
Inspired by Kabir
My inner love speaks. I stand still. I listen.
I take in the birds, the ants, the people, the air.
Everything connected to me by the Divine.
Is it illogical I would exist entirely orphaned.
The truth is I tuned everything out
for work, money, prestige and other deafening distractions.
I do not need to be tangled up in other things.
I can tune into, again, to what I once knew.
True peace, love, and happiness is through connection with others.
You can have this peace, love and happiness too.
All you need do
is breathe.
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THANK YOU for these thoughtful and thought-provoking words!
This is a beautiful poem. I like how it links basic functions like observing and listening to the bigger things in life and how you invite other people to join you in being happy and calm. It is, overall, a relaxing piece similar to a lullaby. Keep up the amazing work.
This is beautiful. Connection is truly beautiful and is something one needs with others and within oneself. Connection though is the flow of energy and I liked how you included the ants and the air because connecting and grounding yourself with your environment is just as important as human connection. Thank you for sharing!
I like the three short sentences that start the poem – they really reinforce the feeling of taking of a few minutes to stop and breathe. And just like each breath a person takes, a lot of feeling and life is packed into this little poem. I enjoy how the brevity of the poem links back to the brevity of a breath. And yet, this little poem contains so much truth and meaning – like a breath can have if you focus on it. I also really like the split sentence at the end as well, for the same reasons. I can see the influence of Kabir on your writing! This feels like a mantra for meditation – which brings the reader back to Kabir. Again, very cool set up. Good work!
TG! This is the simplest, most clear, and vivid description of mindfulness. I struggle with being present and mindful – I’m trying to practice. Your work is a great reminder to stop and breathe.
This is a beautiful poem! I enjoy how this poem takes us on a journey of somewhat: we know peace, we lose it momentarily, and then we regain it by realizing that all we need in life is that connection to others. It’s a nice reminder that no matter what happens, we will always have others around us to bring happiness.
Dear TG, This poem ” took my breath away” with its deep wisdom. Breath is so crucial to life. We receive it at the moment of our birth and when it leaves us our body becomes an empty shell. It is how we connect to the universe and where we get our power to function as human beings. You said it so profoundly, “All you need do is breathe.” That’s so simple and so complicated. Another poet I have read uses the phrase, “the quiet loyalty of breath.” When you think about it, breath sticks with us through joy and sorrow. It is indeed “loyal.” My favorite lines, aside from the last two, are the second and third where you recognize your connection to the Divine, to nature and to other people. Don’t forget to breathe and keep on writing!
The message of this poem is truly beautiful. In the chaos of life, it is easy to forget where we came from. I have personally found so much solace and calm in my life through spending time in nature and remembering that, by disconnecting from the parts of life that are causing me stress and returning to the basics, I can find peace. I love the progression of this piece; starting with the calm, bringing in the stress, and then reminding the reader that they can return to the calm matches the trajectory of what the poem is telling the reader to do. I also appreciated the message that everything is connected, and your way of phrasing that with such beautiful and creative language is remarkable. The poem conveys a sense of calm and really does remind the reader to breathe.
I really like the connection to spirituality in this. This was such an emotional read, and I really connected to it. Especially when you talk about listening to your inner love, and the possibility that everyone has for love, peace, and happiness. It really speaks to the heart
I thought this poem was beautifully written and the message about true happiness, love and connection is great. All I would say is I was initially confused by the line about being orphaned, but it was a great poem!
I love this poem! It is detailed and very well written. I really like the first two lines.
I love how you end your poem, “All you need to do is breathe” it really ties your poem together. In the beginning of your poem the imagery is perfect, “ I take in the birds, the ants, the people, the air.” I can also really relate to when you say “I do not need to be tangled up in other things” I get tangled up in thing as-well, just letting you know that you aren’t alone.
I love the connection you make to something as small as ants and something we can’t physically see like air to our connection to the divine. We really all are interconnected and your poem makes me feel that way in a time where I feel like our world is very polarized. It gives me so much hope!
I absolutely love this poem. What I took from this poem was to not lose track of what makes you happy and what is good for you, and if you do lose track, you will find your way back. This is a good reminder for me to see the good things in life that bring me joy and to try and make light of any negatives.
That was very helpful. Lately, I’ve been very stressed about, well, life. So hearing made me realize that I need to just stop and breathe. Thank you for reminding me.
This gave me a sense of getting back on the right track
I love that you are using your connection to nature to ground you when you are feeling disconnected. I can definitely see as well how this could be inspired by Kabir. I appreciate that the poem is concise and short but still contains such depth. Keep up the great work!
I really liked how you connected how you connected nature to breathing
This is a beautiful poem and I really connect to it. I connect to it because I have a tattoo on the back of my shoulder that says just breathe. I think it is important to always remember that no matter what is going on in life and no matter how down you get all you need to do is breathe, just never stop breathing. I love the line where you said “I can tune into, again to what I once knew.” It is a really powerful line because it shows that you want change.
TG, your poem “Breath” is a beautiful reflection on the importance of reconnecting with our inner selves and the world around us. The way you convey the message of finding true peace, love, and happiness through simple acts like breathing is both inspiring and empowering. Your words remind us to pause, listen, and appreciate the interconnectedness of all things. Thank you for sharing this uplifting piece—it’s a gentle reminder to prioritize what truly matters in life.
TG, this was a beautiful poem! I recognize your use of personification in the first line, and then your descriptive language used later on to describe how your inner love speaks. I also think that making the point that being utterly alone is illogical and then going on to list all the things existing around you (people, ants, birds, etc.) fully exposes the point of the poem in a creative way.
Your poem beautifully conveys the journey towards rediscovering inner peace and connection. The use of repetition in the phrase “I can tune into, again, to what I once knew” emphasizes the cyclical nature of reconnecting with one’s true self. Your reflective tone and serene imagery invite the reader to share in this peaceful realization. Good job!