Abandoned Breaths: Revised and Expanded Edition: Poems

Abandoned Breaths: Revised and Expanded Edition: Poems

An exhalation of love, loss, and heartbreak, Abandoned Breaths is a poetic work of catharsis. From the acclaimed author of I Find You in the Darkness , Alfa’s writing is at once deeply personal and universal―resulting in an emotive force that stays with you. This new edition of Abandoned Breaths includes an updated introduction and a brand-new chapter of modern poetry. Find respite, resilience, and rejuvenation from the moving poetry of Abandoned Breaths. There are words that need to be said. Buried beneath pride and fear. Rejection has suffocated their tenacity to bloom. So, they stay dormant and fester. Dwelling in the darkest and dusty corners of a crying soul. Unseen, yet felt. Not alive, but not dead. Abandoned breaths. Words that need to be said. -Alfa ALFA is a retired medical professional who has spent most of her career in Radiation Therapy. She credits her ability to express painful life experiences by studying the human body from the inside out. Unapologetic about her realistic take on heartache, she writes to let her readers know they are not alone in their pain. Follow her on Instagram. Abandoned Breaths Poems By Alfa St. Martin's Press Copyright © 2017 Alfa All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-250-23357-8 Contents Title Page, Copyright Notice, Introduction, Squall, Exhale, Losing, Vintage, I Never Wanted to Change You, AWOL, Window Shopping, Goodbye Dance, Memory Bath, Visceral, The Artist, Nocturnal, Fairytales, Betrayal, You Want Him to Miss You ..., Weightlifter, Observation, Surreal, Emptiness, Invisible, Recess, Brass, The One, Time Warp, Mask, Patchwork Quilt, Promises, Better or Worse, Complexities, Prideful, All of Me, Heroic Love, Monsoon, Journey, Tangible, Cleansing, Battle, Deserter, Search and Rescue, Leaving, Season of the Monsoon, Testimony, I Had a Funeral, Tongue Tied, Heartbreak Hotel, Afterglow, Intuitive, Mr. Wolf, Mind, Body, Soul, Indelible Ink, Dieting, Intrusion, Wondering, Memories, Discovery, Absent, Worth, Patience, Trust Issues, Cold Hard Facts, Garden of Eden, He Was Magic, In for the Long Haul, Puzzle, Resignation, Getting Through, Lyrical Blade, Stranger, Warrior, More, Obstacles, Fractured, You Are Stardust, You Are Missed, Holding On Was Too Easy, Zephyr, Story, Don't Look Back, Whispers, Crawling, Buried Alive, Deserving, Siren, Fire, Reflection, Happiness, Twenty-something, Love Yourself, Quiet, Risen, Calendars, Human Heart, Vacant, Masquerade Ball, Illumination, Gardener of Heartache, Metamorphosis, Shaking, Ache, Time Changes Things, Queen of the Jungle, Missing, Fracture, Letting Go, Screaming, Lights Out, Raw, Lost and Found, Roped, Roots, Standing Stil, Inner Care, Memories Hold You Close, Beats of Remorse, Actions, Salty Winds, Nine Seconds of Heaven, Collision with No Insurance, Abandoned, Always Right There, Conquest, Exhalation, Do Over, Love More, Hungry, Yearning, Life force, Eyes, Connection, Submerged, Touch, Latching On, Runner, I Matter, Maintenance, Speed of Light, Afraid, Waiting, Moonbeams, Blessed, Anchored to You, Warrior, Treasure Trove, Dreamer, Thank You, Marrow, Emerald Cut, Closed Door, Kingdom, Grind, It was a Gift, Empty Handed, Not All Endings are Bad, Favorite Book, Projection, New Beginning, Second Round, Reckoning, Brilliance, Goodbye Blue Bird, Fragrance of Survival, Memorize, Seams, Inked, Words Heal, Rarity, Legacy, Vapor, Before and After, Listening, Collectible, Persuasion, Unscripted, Confidence, Flicker, Grounded, Private Lives, He Would Answer, Endless, Again, Replacing, Nibble, Elixir, Acknowledgments, About the Poet, Copyright, CHAPTER 1 Squall Exhale When I finally exhaled, releasing pent-up breaths, the pain and resentment tore from my seams like baby birds springing from their nests ... and my soul soared. Losing I have never been able to understand how losing someone can make you feel so full of longing that your chest risks exploding with every forced breath. Losing should mean gone or taken away, empty. But instead, every pulse in my body incessantly screams his name. The past strangles me at night. It comes blanketed in remorse. Hands of regret crushing my spirit. Waves of nostalgia knocking the wind from a chest that is much too full of heirlooms and knick-knacks. I hold memories of me and you. Vintage I believe the pain we experience with endings is a tool. We can use it either to rebuild or to tear ourselves apart, piece by piece. I choose to re-purpose the unhinged parts of my soul. I will let them shine. Rusty and antiqued. I battled for them. Good versus evil. Me against myself. I may look a little old and worn. But, my God ... run your fingers over my ridges. Feel my spirit pulse. You will find character, resilience, and for