Afraid Of The Dark

A poem to illustrate the way I feel when I am taken over by a panic attack when trying to fall asleep.

All settled in, relaxed and content.
Suddenly a thought takes hold
And my mind begins to thrash wildly.
Doom seems inevitable
As my mind weaves frightening webs.
My fear mounts as my heart thumps,
My breath coming only in shallow gasps.
The world begins to close in.
Nothing is real but the fear.
My blood feels icy cold
As it travels through my body.
Faster and faster, my mind spins,
Leaving me feeling dizzy and disoriented.
I sit up straight,
Hoping to escape the cell of my mind.
Breathe, breathe, just breathe
I tell myself quickly.
With the reorientation
And the focused breaths
The mental carousel slows.
Gradually the swirling in my mind
Becomes steady and still.
I find myself shaky,
Uneasy and uncomfortable.
The worst, though,
Is past.
Now it is to wait and hope
For the tranquility after the storm.

Reviews

[Maskedthoughts]

I think this one is one of my favorites! I can really relate to it, the way your mind can completely take everything over. What an incredible write the vocab, the descriptiveness, the imagery; everything! Great write!

[CatT]

Thank you so much! The mind really can just shut everything else down, and it's a sucky feeling. Thanks again for such a great comment!

[Frontier]

Yeah sometimes some thoughts are uncontrollable, and we just gotta let them pass. In order to express some thoughts we gotta almost go insane. Interesting write.

[CatT]

So true. Sometimes the thoughts just have a mind of their own, if you will. Thank you for the comment! :-)

[Tristyn]

Yup, I get that feeling. :P

Well written and vivid. I really like it.

[CatT]

Thank you so much!