Grounding

First,

Five things you can see.

1. a jean jacket

2. white sneakers stained gray

3. lips

4. the stars

5. eyes

breathe

Second,

Four things you can touch.

1. the jean jacket

2. fingertip callouses

3. sharp-plastic-chair-back-edges

4. his five o’clock shadow

breathe

Third,

Three things you can hear.

1. cars

2. voices

3. cricket-katydid dissonance

breathe

Fourth,

Two things you can smell.

1. rain

2. head and shoulders classic clean

breathe

Fifth,

One thing you can taste.

1. bitter coffee

breathe.

Now,

Count.

By Rebecca Ju