Anxiety

Tap my fingers, stare at the floor,

Glance to the side, adjust once more.

You think I’m restless, just antsy at best,

But you don’t feel the trigger ignite in my chest.

Every question feels loaded, sharp and deep,

While the storm inside begins to creep.

My chest locks tight, each breath a task,

You’d call it stress, like you know what’s best.

That creeping dread leaves its mark,

The churn in my gut sparks a wave in the dark.

You don’t have anxiety, can’t see this climb,

The way my mind races, a cruel design.

You don’t hear the pounding, the fear that mounts,

Or the war inside that never counts.

You see calm skin, maybe slightly strained,

But the fire’s unchained, and I can’t restrain.

You ask if I’m fine with that pitying gaze,

Say I’m too quiet, just “lost in a haze.”

But you don’t know the battle it takes

Just to show up while everything shakes.

These four walls you praise for their comfort, their space,

Are folding, collapsing, right onto my face.

Every glance, every word replays,

Did I say it wrong? Did they look away?

You see me skip lunch like it’s nothing at all,

But you don’t taste the sickness that makes me crawl.

My heart’s a bird, wild in a cage,

Your careless words just fuel the rage.

A sudden sound makes me flinch, recoil,

You joke it off while I uncoil.

You don’t have anxiety, can’t see this climb,

The way my mind races, a cruel design.

You don’t hear the pounding, the fear that mounts,

Or the war inside that never counts.

You see calm skin, maybe slightly strained,

But the fire’s unchained, and I can’t restrain.