Today marks a year since Omicron took up residence in this body of mine. We’ve not been friends, it and I. And yet, we’re still together.

On the 365th day of our co-habitation and just before I slowly cycled off to physio and used up today’s allocation of energy, I wanted to mark what feels like a very big day.

It’s a song I wrote at about week 16, when my body was even forgetting to breathe properly, unless I reminded it to do so.

And perhaps if life is testing your metal right now too, it might give you something as well.

I don’t know how to get through all of this, but what I do know is that sometimes a person just has to…

Roll With the Punches, And Breathe.

And Breathe

Kylie van Dam

2023

I have to believe this is going to leave me.

That one day I’ll retrieve me and

All this will be done.

I have to believe things are going to lighten.

And try not to be frightened of

All that can go wrong.

I have to believe.

But today that’s an ask of a poor broken heart that

Feels like a task too far.

‘Cause today is the day when the fear and the

Weight of feeling paper-thin

Threaten to tear me apart.

I have to believe strength is going to come back.

That one day I will run back to the

Life I used to lead.

I have to believe this’ll be past tense.

A distant memory ring-fenced.

A smudge in history.

I have to believe.

But today that’s an ask of a poor broken heart that

Feels like a task too far.

‘Cause today is the day when the fear and the

Weight of feeling paper-thin

Threaten to tear me apart.

I have to believe.

I have to believe.

Don’t panic and breathe.

There’s no reason not to believe.

Just roll with the punches and breathe.

Just roll with the punches and breathe.

Just roll with the punches and

Believe.