This is how you rebuild before breaking. Crush the dirt in between your fingers. Feel the earth in its rawest form. It turns to ashes. You combust. Pieces of you scatter across every place that once held a moment you care deeply about. You sink into it all and rest for winter. Spring comes with a vengeance. It breaks through as a storm- kisses its knuckles before swinging through the earth. Crashing water from the sky- we made God angry again. The stems of your favorite flowers bow down to Mother Nature and the wind takes your breath away. Everything in you cuts deeper than the fear in knowing a storm has power. A storm shows no mercy. A storm has an eye and when you look into it there’s no turning back. Then you open your eyes to stillness. You feel your mother’s hands on your cheeks. Your siblings laughing. The smell of the house you grew up in. You swear you’re seventeen again, but then you wake up. Stretch your arms towards sunshine. Fill your lungs for the sake of breathing. Feel your organs expand. Rise from soft soil and claim it as your new landing spot. Blooming loudly in the newness. It’s still familiar except you have tulips on your fingertips and can see the word from everywhere. Your mind opens up for the first time in a longtime. You decide that you love springtime, after all. -AMT ©️