Anxiety tastes of
chamomile tea with a hint of inadequacy
salty tears and a churned up stomach
lined with indigestion
from every herbal remedy on earth
Anxiety smells of
molding echinacea tea
forgotten on the bedside table
topped with insomnia and fear
Anxiety sounds of
beating, pounding, whirring
machines, trains, and dogs
mixed with the tinnitus
the never-ending internal
beating, pounding, whirring
heart, mind, eyes, ears, throat
Anxiety feels
electric with indecision
biting lips and grinding teeth
every minute movement
simultaneously feeling
too much and yet not enough
stuck on fire
Anxiety looks through
blurred vision torn
by chemical imbalance
fighting, fleeing, freezing
constantly, always alert
surviving barely
blinded, paralyzed
