Panic Attack

And he is suddenly sinking,

Thinking in a vacuum-

Entombed.

Scrabbling at gravel and mossy rock,

Breaking nails, bloody fingers

Glancing off the walls of the tomb,

Shallow breaths that never bloom

Like airy blossom in alveoli-

No.

They hover in his throat, paralysed.

Suspended and heavy.

He closes his eyes in the dark

Feeling the weight of layers of earth,

Pressure pushing density.

All is silent, then a rumble-

Slight at first, he purses his lips

To ask a question- do not ask what is it.

Furrowed brow creased with dirt,

And rumble blooms,

Buzz becomes boom, becomes quivering quake,

The cave caves in to break skin and bone,

Crush skeleton,

Hush brain,

Push tiny seed beneath the soil to germinate again.

I watch him go under.