Kayla Montgomery Poet Free verse

A Breath to Waste

They say don't waste your breath
But what if my breath is the only thing I have left to give 
What if all I can do is sit and breathe

Breathe through the pain 
Breathe to relax
Deep breaths to slow the fast beating of my heart

I talk, and I breathe
I walk, and I breathe 
I run and breathe and gasp for air 

Air that seems to be evading my lungs 
Air that seems toxic to everyone around me 

I only talk to myself
I walk alone 
I run toward no one and away from everyone

They say don't waste your breath 
But breathing is the only thing I have left to waste

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Alison A Smith October 4, 2026 at 12:13 AM A haunting, quietly powerful free-verse poem. The repeated act of breathing becomes both a physical necessity and a poignant metaphor for endurance, isolation, and emotional depletion. Its short, direct lines and recurring “They say don’t waste your breath” refrain give the piece a breathless, circling rhythm that beautifully mirrors anxiety and loneliness.