Anxiety is not my name
Even though it has followed me
since I was five
whispering doubts into the quiet corners of my mind
Even though it’s been killing me slowly my whole life
it is not who I am
My shaking hands may make marks in my skin
and wipe tears from my eyes
but they do not control me
Because I am so much more
I am a friend
I am a girlfriend
I am laughter spilling into a crowded room
I am kindness offered without hesitation
I am strength hidden beneath trembling breaths
Anxiety may be a part of me
but it does not get to name me
With every moment I choose to keep going
I grow louder than its voice
And one day
when people speak my name
they will not think of my pain…