someone recently described anxiety as a lion
waiting to be unleashed
so big and powerful
just behind a trapped door
ready to attack at a moments notice
and i thought, that’s funny
that’s not it at all! not even a little bit!
anxiety isn’t a lion
actually, anxiety doesn’t take form at all
it’s not a person
and it’s not an animal
rather, it’s like a dark color?
or like, the feeling of falling?
it’s something you can’t control, that’s for sure
animals can be trained
lions can be fed
anxiety is an entity not to be played with
imagine being in a black room, with no way out
but black isn’t a strong enough word,
it’s almost blacker than black
black is a color you can see
anxiety is a color that surrounds you and turns you blind
and in this room, with no escape, you suddenly can’t breathe
you don’t notice it at first, it creeps up on you
the darkness consumes you from the inside slowly
it can’t be reasoned with, there’s no communication
it’s penetrated your innermost thoughts, your mind, and your soul
it leaves you free-falling, with no end in sight
so there you are,
blind,
choking,
free-falling,
and alone
that’s what having anxiety is like
it’s not swift, and painless, and all at once
it’s like death
a death that is long, drawn-out, intense, and mind-numbing
anxiety is not a lion