Breathe In ... Breathe Out: Asthma

Today I wheezed, today I sneezed,
Today I learned a lesson.
That breathing in and out each day
Is really quite a blessing.

Some tubes connect my mouth to my lungs,
And at times they swell up like a balloon.
And when they do, the air squeaks through,
So my breathing appears out of tune.

This swelling occurs when I pat the dog,
Or run out in the cold.
When grass is cut, or leaves are raked,
Or when there’s lots of mold.

I’m absent when the tubes swell tight.
Some say I’m playing hooky,
But when breathing is a struggle,
I can’t even eat a cookie.

I’ve learned what I’ve got is called asthma.
It’s a good thing for me that I’m bright.
I test my breathing at the start of each day,
And avoid things that make the tubes tight.

The dog sleeps in the basement.
I keep my stuffed toys clean.
No one’s allowed to smoke inside,
Hope you don’t think that’s mean.

Sometimes no matter what I do
The tubes swell anyhow,
But I have tricks tucked up my sleeve.
I’ll share some with you now.

I puff special medicine into my mouth
With a nebulizer gadget.
It works to open up the tubes.
It really is like magic.

Before I play some basketball
Or run out in the rain,
I puff a different medicine.
Then I can join the game.

I don’t eat many junk foods,
And I try hard not to whine.
These tricks help me stay healthy,
So most times I’m just fine.

If breathing in and breathing out,
A zillion times each and every day.
Is something you do without a thought,
Thank God for this gift when you pray.

- Dr.R.Ravindranath