My whole body is tight

I can barely breathe,

yet I sit here

not moving,

just letting minutes

turn into hours into days,

and the same vicious circle

preys upon my state of mind.

I have come full circle

from a time

when I wanted to

stop the wheels,

get off the rollercoaster

and make time my own.

But I was afraid to because

somewhere inside

I knew there was a pain

far worse than a surface level

anxiety.

We seem drawn to our fears

if thoughts over-ride our actions.

We could live more simple lives

if we let our quiet moments

help shelter us from

the raging storm

that is our own making.

That shallow ground

we let ourselves lose our footing upon,

is only strengthened

by letting the winds

carve out the layers of our lives.