Having suffered a chronic illness br often depleting causing weakness br sweat, hypertension, and coughing br pneumonia infected lungs nagging br inside out each breath a labored pain br traversing the body pulling life to drain br as though being sucked down to drown br little by little high hopes seem to shrink br into an ember glow that goes to the brink br zeroing to nil giving away all the dreams br and the wishes one has molded into beams br to which direction we try to work with focus br in this sole confinement life becomes bogus br on this earth no one is invincible against death br now is the time to reflect before the final wreath.