The yell of my name
Felt like a thousand pulls
From many unyielding directions
Visible and some, unknown
That sharp lurch in my chest
As I suck in a quiet breath with a forced smile
Watching the world crumble around me
Is very real and not a dream
The haste I make in my mind and body
To fix every broken thing
To answer every call, and
Soothe every need within my power
Marks my reality
From dawn to dusk
With frail shoulders that must bear
The burdens placed by my society
They'd become a part of me
That I embrace and bear with open arms
Yet the rapid pounds of my heart
And dripping sweats tell me differently
It can only be for a while
Youthful vigor ain't eternal
For the decline sets in unexpectedly
And I know change is calling
The burdens won't ease up
And the yells from a thousand directions peal
Like a million bells clanging
That my reality would be forever
O let me breathe
The struggles bring pain and discomfort
And so does change
For if I stay put, so does my reality.
*A short, freestyle poem inspired by Freewrite #dailyprompt phrase ["let me breathe"](https://peakd.com/hive-161155/@daily.prompt/4-april-2025-mariannewests-freewrite-writing-prompt-day-2696-let-me-breathe).*
*Image credit: [Emrah Yazıcıoğlu](https://www.pexels.com/photo/silhouette-of-a-woman-kneeling-15427430/)*