...My Safe Place...

I am in...
...total darkness...
I listen...
...complete silence...
...but, wait...
...I hear something...
...it is the sound of breathing...
...in and out, in and out...
Am I alone...
I focus on the sound...
...it's a familiar rhythm...
...I've heard it many times...
...it belongs to me...
I am in...
...total darkness...
...I can't move...
I have no control of...
...my senses...
...my body...
...my mind...
...my breathing...
It gets darker...
...my breathing is changing...
...faster and deeper...
...I'm almost gasping...
...the darkness is...
...suffocating me...
Did I hear something...
...am I hallucinating...
...is it sensory deprivation...
I focus on the sound...
...it's a voice...
It says...
...I am here...
...you are safe...
...now breathe...
I breathe...
I am comfortable...
...being uncomfortable...
I am not afraid...
...of the dark...
The darkness is...
...my...
...safe...
...place.

Breathe...
...Michelle Lynn...