Sweet Air

Tall plumes of oddly colored smoke obscure the horizon

Tiny nodes of shiny steel hover and zip into wind and debris

I run, anywhere, in circles to find

air that is clear where the warmth of the sun can be felt.

On the ridge above an expanse of valley

Once full of life now smoldering with potent death

I climb, higher, to reach

ground that is pure where no claim of death can be made.

Serenity exists in a distant place that beckons to me

Seeking safety, sweet air, the life energy of the sun

I reach, hopeful, to heal

the descration of life, of love, of spirit, of soul

They think I am the cause, my innocence feigned

They hold their life too dear, their hearts too closed

I claim, rightfully, my status

as a victim where no empathy for my pain can be offered

I run, again, to smaller and smaller spaces

I have no more time, I have no more choice

I can no longer evade

I will die in sweet, clean air.

The demons that bring the end to my door must be

unmasked, given form, given faces, given names

If I am ever to exorcise them and

breathe sweet clean air without dying.

(c)2004 Theresa Peluso