Solipsism
unease
Michelle Westerkamp
hands clenching hands
shivers and chills
an empty hollow chest
lungs that never
quite catch a breath
lightheaded and empty
words escape my tongue
language never quite describes
the feeling of panic
the next moment of silence
where tunnel vision is all there is
ice and fire all at once
the need to move
while paralyzed
unbearable discomfort
yearning for the hands
of a monster
to rip out my chest
waiting to see my heart
my lungs staring at me
in fear instead of
unabating anguish
closed ears
open mouth
gasping for air
a shaking leg
a restless mind
a vanishing memory
on the tip of my tongue
words dance elegantly
but stumble
their way out
falling from quivering lips
hitting every obstacle on the
way
way
way
down.