the anatomy of anxiety

your head

full of tangled strings

not one ever willing to uncoil.

your eyes

fighting back tears

not one will fall until tonight.

your mouth

zipped shut tightly to keep in your words

not one ever said.

your throat

feeling like sandpaper as you swallow the painful truths

not one ever being wrong.

your chest

caving into nothingness with the stares

not one with a friendly gaze.

your heart

clenching as it beats

not one is ever steady.

your stomach

always unsettled with the clustered noise

not one ever trying to quiet.

your legs

shaking as you try to stand

not one strong enough to hold you up.

your feet

unmoving because of these overwhelming feelings

not one ever leaving you alone.

this is the anatomy of anxiety:

the experience of dying

but being alive for the aftermath.