Coiled within a serpentine fear
Slowly coming to life
Powered by venomous anxiety
Poised to strike
Restless under my clammy skin
I lament the loss
Of kindness, integrity, liberty
In this dark strife
That has led our worlds astray
With poisoned words
Shadows dance on the wall
Claws dripping death
Faces set with fangs
Tentacles reaching out
From beyond sodden graves:
Against an orange luminous
The candelabra brings alive
Fears from another lifetime
Silhouettes from the wild,
The ones I fail to pacify!
Ravage my peace of mind!
Rescue me from
The web of cerebration
Crushing my innards
Clutching my heart
Maddening my soul
With another bout
Of stifling anxiety!
Thoughts growing
Like tendrils within me
Squeezing, squishing
Body, spirit, inside out
Squirming in my brain
Twisted imagination
Triggering a volcano
Of anguish fear, guilt
The demons they win;
Primeval joy, lost in the din!
Blue Pen Strokes 