Alive/Dying

The air is dense,

Certainly unbreathable,

But, someone else, too,

Doesn’t want me to breathe either.

For I could sense,

The grip tighten around my neck,

Effortless and mastered,

In absolute control, no matter.

I’m losing control,

Maybe I never had it,

Resistance and struggle,

They’re not going to have it.

For any moment now,

The efforts will stop,

For any moment now,

Words will be lost.

But, I can do it,

Someone tells me, I can,

Resist the choke,

For all I can.

Then, as if suddenly,

I’m catching a breath of air,

Dense, definitely scared,

Alive, but dying in the nightmare.