reoccurring nightmare
stagnant judgement
my worst moments on a loop
and i can't expunge them

suffocating pressure
emotional outbursts
did i forget how to apologize
or do i pretend to not know the words

manipulative people
asking where i've been
planting their seeds of hate
that burrow beneath my skin

complicated questions
underestimated
heightened expectations
they must be mistaken

late nights into mornings
barely a wink of sleep
so fearful of my nightmares
i won't allow myself to dream

careful but not careful enough
one excess thought
and i go into overload
mechanical failure
completely detached
my mind begins to implode