Breathe
take in the new air
Breathe
the scent of fresh rain
Breathe
for a moment’s calm
Breathe
to feel tranquil
Breathe
inhale the storm

Breathe
want something more
Breathe
try a new thing
Breathe
take in the smoke
Breathe
in wispy threads
Breathe
and again and again
Breath
light the fresh new end
Breath
take in the smoke
Breath
fill up the lungs
Breath
exhale and again
Breat
one cough now two
Breat
no stress on you
Breat
watch it all fall away
Brea
no falling rain
Brea
no mor frsh air
Bre
fr al yo’r wrth
Br
fr 1 mr da

B r e a t h e . . .

The idea of writing for effect versus writing from denouement was a theory as presented by Edgar Allen Poe in his essay on “The Philosophy of Composition” and this was the basis for “Losing psi.” The need to stop smoking and the sense of lost lung capacity provided the idea for an effect. The effect is delivered in a near-concrete format with the word “Breathe” being shortened numerically toward the end of the poem. The phrases begin to shrink as well so as to give the reader the sense of running out of breath.