Panic Attacks Me

Underneath my polished skin
My body writhes and fought
Gnashing teeth and foaming lips
Panic commandeers my thoughts
Behind my burnished eyes
Its glittering tail flicks and whips


Even memories pounce with predatorial force
Shattering emotional and mental tranquility
Like a gloved fist through a pane of glass
Reaching in to unlock the deadbolt

My whole body shies away from my brain
Trying to squirm out of sight
Like a sudden inaccessible itch
In front of a crowd

I immediately burst out
In involuntary, frenzied song
As if a little tune could fight off Anxiety
And drown out my roaring mind