Spear

Spirit aspirational,
Inspirational, expired,
Conspiratorial breath
Drags on the convulsive lungs
And counts the spiral staircase
Rung by rung. It's not much fun,
Nor very meditative,

When the most painful thing done
Is to suck in atmosphere
Past narrowing obstacles
And then cough it out again.
Maybe the spear in the side
Of the crucified was breath,
Gasp more redundant than death.