For those of you who know what anxiety is like,
And especially for those of you who don’t;
Let me explain.
Anxiety is a little person
Who lives right on your chest,
And even if you try to evict him
You cannot rid this permanent guest.
His favourite food is other people,
Watching them walk by –
Telling you what they think and say,
Crushing you with lies.
And if you don’t cry he’ll hug you,
Embracing your heart and your lungs.
He will squeeze you so tight,
You cannot breathe, let alone run.
He will try and isolate you –
Keep you in bed for weeks on end.
He will make you doubt your boyfriend,
And alienate your best friend.
Anxiety will stop you
From achieving hopes and dreams,
Instead he will freeze you in time
Along with the others on his team.
You will try to explain to others:
“If only you could see”,
But this man is invisible,
And your distress fills him with glee.
Others will call you crazy,
Judging your pain
Labelling your isolation as being
As simply being vein.
And while you sit there,
Unable to move,
He will pour you a stiff one,
Placating you with booze.
Though it quietens him for a while,
He is always there,
Surviving on your destruction
And bathing in your fear.
Well penned! I’m well aware of this unwanted guest.
Oh this was fine, that invisible, uninvited guest feels like it lives more in my head than anywhere else.