One Breath by Miriam N. Kotzin — Editor Feature!
morning chill
river mist hovers—
fugitive mirror
Miriam N. Kotzin
There is an immense power in the ways poetry can connect people, both in time and space. This piece was chosen as our One Breath Editor Feature because it deeply resonated with the Editors at O2 Haiku. The story of an escapee, or fugitive, couldn’t ring more true in this day and age. Whether it is a stop on the Underground Railroad, or a treacherous crossing at the Darién Gap, this human experience is one that seems to never fade.
Many manifestations of the human experience are universal: happiness, ennui, hatred, or even love. Yet, the need to escape or flee— is something entirely different.
Imagine, if for a moment, being stripped of everything that makes you an individual. Deeper, past the superficial. To the root. Gone.
Not even fear remains. Only the primal instinct to go. Run until you can no longer. This is where we found this piece.
The subject shivering in the rushing water, waiting until their captors drop their chase. Their only chance to take a breath. Just one breath.
They look down to the icy water pooling around their waist. For a second, they see their reflection. A human. Someone they lost long ago.