(Shift tone—more impassioned but still grounded. Now you are yourself. You are speaking truth.)
Let us all breathe together in unison.
Breathe in… through your nose—belly, chest…
Out through the mouth.
Like a wave.
Belly, chest, out.
Feel it.
I feel a deep-seated call.
I have been thinking a lot about our world…
About our bombardment of shadow truths and blatant lies
Filling us with anxiety—stifling our breath,
Making us feel small… sick… scared.
I have wandered,
Into the lands, into the wilderness.
Searching.
I wandered through Italy—
Across the stone alleys and into alpine winds.
I crossed into Switzerland, where the mountains sing.
In France, I fell ill— yet still I stood beneath the trees
In the Valley of the Wolves.
In Germany, I touched the Berlin Wall, my body aching,
But still—bearing witness.
In Finland, I listened to the hush of the snow,
And in Iceland, frost bit as I gazed at the Northern Lights.
Months later—
I hiked 500 miles
Through the ancient spine of the Appalachian Trail—
Each step a question,
Each breath a prayer.
I witnessed beauty beyond comprehension.
I was in awe—and in fear—of untamed winds,
Of ice and rain and symphonies booming from mountaintops.
(Voice cracks a little)
And I cried.
At the unfolding of a blossom.
At the majesty of life.
But we have lost truth.
We have forgotten how to breathe.
And in forgetting, we lost how to smell…
…to taste…
…to hear…
…to see…
…to feel.
We’ve been systematically robbed of our senses,
So dragons can sleep on their hoards.
(Slow, measured)
I believe we must sit in stillness.
Breathe—
In through the nose.
Belly… chest…
Out through the mouth.
From the perineum to the third eye.
Belly. Chest. Out.
Belly. Chest. Out.
BREATHE!
(Let it settle)
And now, awake—
What will you do with this breath?
When enough of us wake up,
We will beat the drums.
Sound the horns.
And together,
Dig out this rot.
Remove the blight from our communities.
We must have the courage to slay dragons—
And to have courage,
We must know what we are fighting for.
(Step forward)
Your heart knows.
Listen.
Go outside.
Go into your community.
And you will know what you are called to do.
Do not be afraid.