There are embers in my soul.
They stay dimly lit from the breath that blows past them constantly.
Speaking and breathing turns them from black to a faint red.

Some days, the embers hardly stay warm though.
Some days, speaking doesn’t provide enough oxygen to keep the embers lit.
Some days, my feet weigh a thousand pounds.
Some days, my eyelids flutter sluggishly through the brown grass and dead flowers of my life.
Some days, my heart folds; gives up; loses.

Until I close my eyes and breathe.
Until I open my eyes and sing.
One song; any song.
One note; any note.

Blood flows again through my life.
Past my eyes as I see a luscious pasture filled with colors.
Past my soul as the embers inside it turn a bright orange.
Past my feet as they lift off the ground. Past my heart as it decides to win.
Past my soul as the embers inside it glow with light.
Past my eyes that can’t go any higher.
Past my soul as the embers inside it ignite into a white flame.
Past my soul as the fire inside it burns with the energy of a thousand-member orchestra.

Singing isn’t my life but I’ll never stop.
It’s the only thing that makes the flame in my soul dance.