She gasped for breath that day
And I,
I was useless,
Almost.
Asthma, in a panic
And I panicked too.
What to do?
What to do!
Hands flailing, breath wheezing,
Drowning for want of air.
Eyes wide,
Terrified.
I was there,
With a phone, that’s all.
One call.
Take charge,
Take control,
Take inhaler
And point
And press
And pray
And it worked.
Watching
Someone gasp for air,
My mum,
Helpless to help
But still,
It went well
With advice,
Calmly given
And actions taken,
Eventually.
Listening
To reports
Of chemical
Warfare,
I cry.
I die a little,
Remembering
That day.
How dare they?
How dare they!
Air,
First on the hierarchy of need.
Not greed, but necessity.
Shoot me,
Stab me,
Bomb me,
Kill me quickly.
Do not take
My air.
Seconds of drowning,
A lifetime of suffering.
Terror in eyes
Not easily forgotten.
scottishmomus 