Like a vise, this unknown enemy tightens its hold
restricting my breath, my thoughts, my steps
It takes on a life of its own…this monster
who has taken up residence in my brain
It shoves everything out of its way,
those unnecessary things like
simple joy and foolish hope
for a better day

And like any formidable foe,
it mounts a battle toward victory
with bared teeth gnashing and
the magic of madness creating
a tangle of fire and ice that all at once
courses through my very veins —
burning my skin as if my body was
its own funeral pyre

I feel the fog as it settles in,
smothering logical thought
in this that has become
the snowfall of my mind
heavy with worry,
burdened by fear
I wander through
unmapped minefields

Somehow in the midst of confusion,
I stumble across weapons
and strap them to my side:
Knowledge to quiet madness
Strength to dull fear
Prayer to lift that fog
and Hope to discover a better day

photo: Pixabay
prompts: Go Dog Go Cafe – Tuesday Writing Prompt Challenge, #DecemberFalls18