An Impenetrable Cage

It starts off with a tremble in my fingertips.

The tremors crawl up my arms

To my shoulders and down

Where they snake around my rib cage

Until they take hold of my heart.

They dig their claws deep

And intertwine with the bones of my ribs

To create an intricate web of anxiety.

With every breath,

The twine sinks deeper and grips tighter,

Until there is no breath for me

To exhale or inhale.

The slight tremors turn into convulsions

And I drop down lower than my knees.

The vise-like grip stops

And the only thing I feel

Is its heavy weight on my chest.

Then, it starts moving

But this time it knits with my veins

Until I don’t know

What is me and what is it.

Only when I leave my guard down

Do the vines inside me sprout thorns

And burst outside my skin,

Creating an impenetrable cage.

I am untouchable.