breath o' life

the air i have breathed for nineteen years has never changed.
i will in ha le ex ha le as you do
until i die breathing with you,
and all who came be fore
the ex hal ed breath of every child, the girl, the boy
every child birthed here

that breath is in my lungs
the breath of christ, of tut,
of earhart
of zinnia, sequoia, tapir
of god
i breathe with paul hewson
the breath of aung san suu kyi
you in ha le, i ex ha le.
we don't agree.
but we breathe.

i have no victims
to apologize to, i have yet to
oppress, to take
life, kill
breath
but i breathe with the breath of the martyred,
exterminated, forgotten,
the marginalized.
they breathe
same breath, same room,
with the oppressor,
in, out, in.

i use and use
not reused, tossed,
but i breathe the same.
in water and wind the dirt will find you -
see, i share
i breathe,
and breathe.
together, with the mute,
communicate unlike
i do
but breathe the same, in ha le ex ha le

the lungs fill,
seatmate.
in, out
closer than we know
what touches me touches
you
the same
inside.