don’t give up

when you freeze

in that all-too common

grip of fear

please remember

no moment

is ever permanent

you will heal

you will survive

*

life on pause

like so many of us

who are forcefully homebound

I have begun to listen

to the birds

who continually voice

their thoughts in song

to the leaves

who sweetly dance

with an ever-present wind

perhaps I would have missed

these beautiful things

had I not slowed down

*

together

I think it’s safe

to assume

that we are all

filled with anxiety

so let’s take

a restful moment

to breathe slowly

just you and me

inhale

exhale

*Published in Cantos: A Literary and Arts Journal, 2020