Like the Hammer at the Carnival

You know
In a pulmonary test
You are directed
To exhale then
Exhale some
More

Empty the lungs
As strongly
And as thoroughly
As you
Can
With then another round
And another of
The same

Not an exercise
In breathing

We should not breathe that way

But
It seems
To find out how strong we might be
And then again
Some guessing about strength
And then
Some
More

C L Couch


(with the thing at the carnival, you hit with all the strength you think you have and then must hit again with more)

Photo by Nhia Moua on Unsplash