I stand here today
I stare at the crowd
Oh hooray
It’s here
A familiar feeling resurfacing
Heart racing
Palms sweaty
Arms heavy
Knees weak
A feeling I know, a feeling I hate
WHY must this be my fate?
To suffer from you
You suffocate me
Inhibit me
Prohibit me
From doing the things
That I want to do
You, yes YOU Mr. Anxiety
You my worst enemy

You persist and insist
On affecting my communication
With people who are humans
Just like me
But you make it seem
Like they are the enemy
Constantly judging me
When you are the one sentencing me
To a prison of my own mind
Where I find only
Restlessness and tension
Nervousness and Hyperventilation
These ceaseless heart palpitations
Now I can't breathe and I seethe
As you smile cuz I can't speak

So now I write to you
Dear Mr. Anxiety
Why must you allow fear
To eat me from the inside out
Weakening my resolve
To tear away this uneasiness
From my insides out
And I cower in your towering presence
Like a fragile flower
Amidst the barrage of a raging storm
Yet I remain an
Unwilling victim to your unyielding assault
Because it's not my fault that I'm so
Afraid and Dismayed

By words that invade my mind
That prevent me
From speaking up for myself
And I constantly repeat myself
Just to feel heard
Because words prevent me
From speaking up for myself
Dismayed and swayed
To make decisions
That I know deep down
I don’t want to
But I still do
If only to be temporarily rid of you

Dear Mr. Anxiety
Why must you exhaust me?
Make me feel like all eyes are on me
Like I’m a celebrity, when I'm only me
Yet the glare
Of a thousand eyes
Blinds me to
The beauty of possibility
Shutting me in this cage
Of isolation and self-depravation
And I’m tired
Of fighting myself
Tired of the voices, their incessent noises
That constantly sing songs of inadequacy
Tired of the sleepless nights
With Peace and Turmoil in a constant fight
I am tired of the
Fear to make mistakes
And the risks I never take

But, Dear Anxiety
As an unwilling victim
Even in my darkest of nights
I will search for a glimmer of light
To give me the courage to fight
And as I stand on this stage,
I stare at the crowd
Knowing I have taken
These cautious steps,
To conquer thee
You, Mr. Anxiety
Yours truly,
Your worst enemy

At first it was great
The hugs, the kisses, the dates
Her love became his nutrients
He needed her to survive
The effect she had on him Was like the moon luring the tides
Leading him to believe, he needed her
More than she needed him
Like leaves clinging to the sun's rays
Like the Earth's thirst for rain
Cue in the over thinking-the nitpicking at small, irrelevant details
That meant nothing, yet everything
Like getting dressed too nicely when they went out
Craving attention or the sensation of admiration
Would never say “I love you more”
Was loving him such a chore?
Go play games with your friends
As if he annoyed her to no end
Insecurities arose, and he became irate
Manipulation and abuse became the norm
Caging a bird, who yearned for freedom

She tries to communicate, yet he doesn't listen
Defeated, depreciated, she looks on
At the disaster that disrupts her life's cadence
Like a tornado, destroying her from within
The more she tries to please, To ease his insecurities
The more he spins the story, to fit his own narrative
Things so simple, Taken way out of proportion
Causing constant concern and irritation
Now when she dresses up for date night
She needs to check herself
Once, twice, sometimes thrice
It was all the bittersweet moments
That they shared, She was addicted
To the love, the love, oh how sweet
That she ignored the bitter, toxic which consumed her
Like a bird trapped in an open cage
Yearning to be free, but hesitant to take flight
But now she is no longer scared
And has exhausted all her tears
So she sat him down and spoke her mind
Intending to leave all this strife behind

What do you want to talk about he says
Looking up slowly, she clutches her chest
Her heart beating rapidly
Like the wings of a bird, ready to take flight
She felt confident, no trace of fear
You are a terrible heart concierge
But I love you
You love me?!
Yes i adore you
Your actions make that seem anything but true
And I haven't heard those words in a month or a few.
You've interrupted my life's peace
I'm in bondage, and need to be released
I'm tired of this i can't do it anymore
No need to settle a score
I need to build myself back up from the core
Let us part ways. I need
Heal my broken heart, my broken wings
To soar. in love. once more.