Teeth In My Chest

Wake up already falling

Heart’s running red lights in my ribs

Hands shake like broken branches

Thoughts swarm

A blackened orbit

Stare holes through the ceiling

Counting every crack like scars

Every quiet room turns violent

When I’m alone with where you are

There’s a wolf at the door of my breathing

Teeth in my chest when I’m sleeping

I’m a riot in a locked room

Screaming

(are you listening? are you listening?)

Every “I’m fine” that I’m repeating

Is another little part of me retreating

If this is my mind

Why am I bleeding?

Somebody drag me out

Drag me out

Words sink like rusted anchors

Tongue heavy with “what if I break?”

Smile stapled over panic

I’m a fault line dressed in skin and faith

Tell me

Is this forever?

This siren stuck inside my skull

Every heartbeat feels borrowed

Every breath a loaded pull

Rip my doubts out

Nail them to the sound

I’m drowning in a crowd

(but I’m so loud, so loud)

Skin’s a cage for a cyclone

I’m a flare in a blackout sky

If fear is all that I’ve ever known

Will I even know me if it dies?

There’s a wolf at the door of my breathing

Teeth in my chest when I’m sleeping

I’m a riot in a locked room

Screaming

(are you listening? are you listening?)

Every “I’m fine” that I’m repeating

Is another little part of me retreating

If this is my mind

Why am I bleeding?

Somebody drag me out

Drag me out

Heartbeat

Double-time drumming

Still here

Still scared

Still coming

If I shake

It means I’m running

If I’m breathing

I’m not done yet