Dark Refrains

Sonnet To Anxiety

Choking, choking,
Stifled by this world,
By the people,
The lifestyle,
By my own body.
The terror growing in my mind
As I envisage death around the corner,
Yet it waits and waits
And does not come,
But only tortures me.
This lump in my throat
does not exist
- I know -
But the reassurance
Does not melt it away,
Nor does the sickly sweet sedative.
Brain! You know it is not real,
But still I am choking.
        © 3/6/2001