—hope is never lost
when there is breath.

When there are fruit
flies, fireflies, moths.

A future version of you
is sighing.

Somewhere, she wants
you to sigh, too.

She’s telling you
to exhale.

She’s telling you
to feel the sun as she feels it now.

Do you believe she’s out there? Living.
Do you believe her offering? Relief.

How many hours you ached
alone in the dark.

Let her in. Let her
hold you now.

She’s telling you—

---

EJ Hyndman is a writer and veil poi artist from the UK. After a decade with CFS/ME and chronic pain, she’s now in recovery, exploring the world and writing fiction shaped by resilience and invisibility. She loves circus arts, movement and storytelling in all its forms. Her work can be found in FLARE magazine and The Thorney Post.