This Disease

A poem about something I’m sure we all suffer from some more than others perhaps.

This disease Anxiety
holds such variety
from keeping you awake
or making you wince and shake

Panting with a heat flash
heart is racing oh so fast
hope this feeling will quickly pass

Spotlight illuminating every story
every horrid scar
wanting to curl up and hide
in a safe place to keep warm
It’s getting cold outside

I can feel a breeze
I don’t want to let it touch my skin
please I ask as I knock at the door
please please let me back in.

Author's Note

When anxiety has you in its grip

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

Years ago dear Katrina, I had stress attacks. I had to learn to meditate.
"Panting with a heat flash
heart is racing oh so fast
hope this feeling will quickly pass"
I understand the above lines. Scare the hell out of you. Thank you for sharing the amazing poetry and your thoughts.
Coyote

[Katrina Mckeown]

Hi Coyote, thank you for your encouragement and advice… I agree meditation is key to helping cope with anxiety… I use the app Calm) and I like to go for walks etc tuning into nature can be calming… I wish we had a beach near here.. :)

Katrina

[Coyote Poetry]

I need the sea too dear Katrina. I have the great lakes near. You are welcome. I must meditate to find sleep. My mind is always running.

[Bhuyanshi Talukdar]

Your poem is a poignant and heartfelt exploration of the experience of living with anxiety, and the ways in which it can impact every aspect of our lives. The use of vivid imagery, such as "keeping you awake" and "making you wince and shake," creates a sense of both physical and emotional turmoil, while the repetition of "please" adds a touch of desperation and urgency. Your words convey a sense of both vulnerability and strength, and the final lines, "please I ask as I knock at the door / please please let me back in," are both haunting and powerful. Your poem is a testament to the power of language to capture the essence of the human experience, and to help us find meaning and purpose in the face of our deepest fears and doubts.

[Gee]

Have met a few who suffer with this, a couple becoming near house bound as it took hold.
You describe it well

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Please, let me back in. I suffered from this in 2018 and had to take two semesters off from teaching...it was hard even going to the store...
not fun...and it is described so well here...in first line of last stanza, did you mean "feel"?
that breeze can be so cold.
j.

[Katrina Mckeown]

Hi j it truly is a horrible thing to suffer from. No fun at all!
Yes I did mean feel the wind’ thanks for noticing.
Katrina

[Chris Shaw]

Anxiety is a curse and I suffer from it myself periodically. I know many in the same boat. It is insular and debilitating. Prevents you from getting on with your life. Yes, it can grip. Panic attacks are difficult to deal with. Your poem Katrina remind me of the emotional damage inflicted by anxiety on its sufferers. It can be isolating. That grip has to be loosened.

Chris

[Katrina Mckeown]

Hi Chris,
Yes this is true, it can be very debilitating and so difficult to deal with. The grip certainly has to be loosened for sure.
Thanks for reviewing
Katrina