Take My Breath Away

They say that life is not measured 

by the number of breaths we take 

But by the moments 

that take our breath away.

Yet we presuppose 

our breathing as rudimentary

Inhaling and exhaling,

an act deemed so ordinary.

To breathe is to live, 

to live is to love

Experiencing true love 

Surely a divine gift from above.

At the sight and mention

of the beloved

The lover does deeply breathe

Adorning the heart in a wreath.

Promising to never part till death

Starting the day with the beloved's name 

Nights ending inhaling their breath.

A smile of joy and a sigh of sorrow

Respiration taken for granted

As if there were no tomorrow.

Love is but a thief 

that steals your breath and soul

Is love then, the oxygen of the soul?

Which keeps the spirit alive

To respire is to roll.

Then what becomes

of this precious life

For what is all this strife ?

Exhilarating adventures,

natural wonders destinations unseen

extracts bemused gasps 

breathtaking sights and memories

of places we had been.

The single Divine breath

which our Creator did blow

upon a lump of clay

and lo man was created

the one that we all know.

The single breath

that determines the fine line

between life and the state of death.

Man's ingratitude

And denial of the favors of his Lord

The taking for granted

Of the life giving breath

The air most wanted.

Irked by this candour

Its time to be tested

By the supreme Commander

The very organs that supply life sustaining air

Upon which existence rests, life seems unfair.

Our breaths are now numbered

Divine intervention of invisible soldiers 

Instil fear of invasion in our slumber.

Put to the test in the form of a round prickly ball

That travel from the nose to the lungs

No vaccines yet to stall.

Oblivious of race, 

color creed and societal rungs.

A rougue virus is what they call 

Over 2 million dead attacked by the thorny ball.

Weighing less than a gram

Its now the time to give a damn.

Its not a pretty picture to see one gasp

For that single breath which we let lapse.

Salvation in patience and repentance 

Salivating tongues moist with prayer

In the hope that the Lord will desist to scare.

And once again shower

His Divine love and care.

A promise to stop needless death

And return to us our lowly breath.

Tanya Karim is an architect in Dhaka and has also works in Bhutan and Middle East.