Breathe

These shoulders of mine slumped in pain.

I could no longer stand on my feet, my knees buckled under the strain.

In circles the ground lifted; top soil gathered and skittered side to side, the particles landed and flew...up, up, and up once again, filling to blacken the sky.  Dust flew past, and into my eyes.

The soil, once goodness of labor produced, now hard pan, a cement to destine our journey across this land.

Bouncing and skimming the cracks, sideways, forward, and backward, we hold on, hold on to the words and memories we once knew.

Hand to mouth, we tried to hold on when the dust rose up, but now rains in these clouds come down, and down, floating life away, taking breath in smothering rain.

Starving words sailed out of my mouth to give thanks, the wind blew them away.

God help us all!

We cry.

Wind whipped the earth

Breathing is shallow

Lungs filled with mirth

Land lay fallow

God help us all!

Until we die.