Fifteen Ways to Die
By: Liliana
When someone goes to the 7-11 and takes a candy bar, slips it into a hoodie pocket, there are police for just such a situation.
When the belligerent women crowd at the end of the block near a clogged storm drain, gossiping about a dreadful house color across the way, there are police for just such a situation.
When a lost cat is declared, and his little owner puts up flyers all over the neighborhood declaring “REWARD for the safe return of Mr Pickles,” there are police for just such a situation.
When a teenager knocks over the display of lipstick inside a boutique and flees laughing into the street, with accomplishes fanning out in all directions, there are police for just such a situation.
When Elizabeth, age 7, is having a garden-themed birthday party with petitfours and her mom’s fine china, there are police for just such a situation.
When inside Drewry Field, someone throws the last pitch of summer and it goes flying out, out, out into the stands, there are police for just such a situation.
When the dinghy bobbing in the water, just off shore, can’t fit all the people who want in even with people clinging to the sides, legs dangling in the water, there are police for just such a situation.
When the rocket cascades into space, carrying something as heavy as hope, there are police for just such a situation.
When someone wishes on what could be a star, and could be an observation satellite, there are police for just such a situation.
When the library closes and someone is left inside, hiding behind the classified memoirs in the non-fiction section, there are police for just such a situation.
When at the border something in the back of a minivan, under tarp and piles of donated clothing, is not declared, there are police for just such a situation.
When the man holds the gun, there are police for just such a situation
When the man pulls the trigger, there are police for just such a
When the man falls with a thud, there are police
There are police for every type of situation
10 Deep Breaths: A Guide
1. Don’t focus on the breathing. There isn’t anything special about it. Continue your day, do boring things; Turn on your phone, computer, Television, open up the news. After all, isn’t breathing just as mundane? Isn’t it for everyone? At least that’s what we’d hope, but you did check the news, right? You saw the myriad of murders, and kidnappings. Sad reports of symphonic gunshots and screams. You gasped. This, was your first breath.
2. After breathing out the horror, take a moment. With your next suck of oxygen, gather the story’s information. This is the time you use to process. Get to know the new tragedy.
3. Now that the knowledge has traveled through you, carried to your brain like the oxygen was to your head, you may let the sadness enter.
4. Since you have filled your lungs with sorrow, breathe it out to create room for something else. Not surprise though, they were once ineffable, you should not be surprised at these things anymore.
5. Allow that something else to fill your lungs completely. Let it be anger. Let it be grief. Let it be what you need right now, to cope. Exhale.
6, 7. Repeat the last step, Twice.
8. Hope, this is the last time, the news makes you cry. But as your heart pumps the inhaled air, know, that it won’t be.
9. Let your lungs be (grate)full. Cherish the expansion of your stomach and chest. Let them even love the collapse when the stress escapes your mouth and nostrils.
10. Inhale the acknowledgement of what your body and brain have consumed. As you breathe out, tell them not to forget, and remember, not to take them for granted.
(11. I know this shouldn’t be a part of the list, but remember. This is you, continuing to breathe, while someone else has not been able to)