Tension within my chest
like wearing a too-tight t-shirt
as my heart fights to escape

My body yearns to run
like a startled hare
to fly like a hummingbird
to fight like a hyena
to do anything to relax

My worries fly in my head
like hornets aiming for
my weakness and
my insecurities

Breathing tightens my chest more
trapping me in ****** quicksand

Journaling makes me more aware
of my heartbeat thumping
like a Shakespearean actor spouting
iambic pentameter in my core

I know all of this will fade
like the end of a scene in a play
but I can hardly wait, tears
standing at the ledge of my eyes
waiting to jump off the cliff