Enough

You cannot breathe
deep enough.
Slow enough.
The darkness still closes in.

You cannot breathe
deep enough.
Slow enough.

All you have is persistence.
Long enough
that the darkness surrenders

And leaves.

About this poem

I fight depression. Meditation is one of my weapons. Sometimes it works quickly. Sometimes not so quickly.

The older I get, the more I value persistence over brilliance. Hard work over talent. A refusal to surrender to bluster and fancy talk.

I have a thing for snails. They personify this belief. This particular picture was taken in New York.

Tom