Originally published in 2022. Republished in 2026. Original reader comments have been preserved and may refer to an earlier version of this piece.
Barely Breathing
slowly fading
slowly drowning
a breath I can’t take
a soul I can’t save
a life once lived
a grave once dug
into an abyss, I sit
waiting to hear the voice of my love say
“I am yours alone”
constricted
tied down
barely breathing above this sacred ground
-Primrose Morrison
“Barely Breathing” reflects feelings of despair and longing, depicting a sense of fading existence and emotional suffocation. It expresses a deep yearning for a lost love, captured in vivid imagery of drowning, waiting, and a once-vibrant life. The speaker feels trapped yet holds onto hope for a connection that transcends their suffering.
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With love and a little ink,
Primrose
Last Updated on 10/23/2026 by Primrose
Check out my poem “Naked Lunch” and check out the poem “A Drunk Poem” at https://embracethesalad.wordpress.com.
All of them have one-line stanzas. Coincidence? Divine synchronicity? Paranoid conspiracy?
Why did you follow my blog? How did you find it?
Hello Jonathan, thank you for the follow and likes. I checked out your poem and found your writing style truly fascinating. As for how I found your blog, it was through WordPress reader and I followed you because of our love for poetry. I also checked out the other blog you suggested and loved it as well. Thank you for the recommendation.
I’m so very flattered! Your poem above was great. I just thought it a spooky episode of synchronicity that those three poems turned up with such similarities by chance. One of my things is I should not get so spooked when that kind of violation of the law of probability happens. It’s been happening to me more and more, and I should just enjoy the evidence that God is arranging our lives, that mere mathematical probability isn’t in charge of everything. It almost lends credence to the validity of some sort of astrological property. “This week will be the week of major depressive episodes…it’s written in the stars.” Of course then there’s the issue of subject matter. We didn’t just spontaneously all write poems that we got promotions at work and found the loves of our lives. So I hope you’re okay. While there was no coordination between us, I do know Evangeline in real life, and I can look after her a bit, and entrust her to the care of friends.
At any rate, try not to walk out in front of a bus the next time one of these moods strikes. If you go to God, they don’t last.
I look forward to your next bit of writing.
Thank you, I am doing okay. It is always great to have friends around when those
types of episodes strike so that you are never alone. ☺️ I
Alrighty then. Spooky episode of synchronicity it was. Good to know. And I agree.