The featured image was kindly provided by Pavel Kobysh from Kyiv, Ukraine.
Poem inspired by my little brother Ilya who finds his roots in Ukraine as well and struggles with asthma on a daily basis.

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Poem:

In the realm of breath, where air should flow,
A silent battle rages, both high and low,
Asthma’s cruel grip, an uninvited foe,
In the labyrinth of lungs, it starts to sow.

In the mirror of the lungs, it paints its tale,
A wheeze, a cough, beneath azure skies sail,
The chest constricts, like a vice’s mail,
As oxygen’s path, in turmoil, does assail.

Innocent laughter, once carefree and loud,
Now punctuated by gasps, a desperate shroud,
A fragile whisper of courage endowed,
To face this relentless, enduring cloud.

Inhale, exhale, the world unaware,
Of the turmoil within, the constant wear,
Every breath iss a battle, a weary affair,
Yet the spirit endures, with courage to spare.

Lungs become prisons, in chains they dwell,
Gasping for freedom, an elusive spell,
The wheeze, a haunting, persistent knell,
As asthmatic struggles, its stories tell.

In the dead of night, when shadows creep,
Asthma awakens from its fitful sleep,
A wheezy symphony, secrets to keep,
In the depths of darkness, its secrets seep.

Medications, inhalers, a lifeline sought,
To ease the wheezing, battles bravely fought,
With each puff, a sigh of hope is caught,
In the face of adversity, dreams are wrought.

Yet, asthma’s grip remains a constant fight,
A daily struggle, from morning ’til night,
But in the hearts of warriors, burning bright,
There’s a flicker of hope, an unwavering light.

In unity, we stand, those who understand,
The struggles of asthma, hand in hand,
Raising awareness, across the land,
For a world where breath flows, unswayed, unplanned.