Music and Panic

Close your eyes,

Breathe in deep,

Shut out the world,

Listen to the beat.

Earbuds in and volume up,

I lean back and listen.

Slow down my heart beat,

Expand my constricted lungs,

And sit still and listen to a song.

The screaming in my head,

Silenced by the gentle strums,

Or the wailing of the guitars.

My pulse is racing,

But the beat of the steady drum,

A welcome pacemaker, and welcome hug.

My breath is shaking,

But the voice will soothe

And remind me I'm okay.

My once blank mind,

Flooded by panic,

Now calm and relaxed,

As words promise of a better future,

Better than my past.

My panic attack ends at last.

But music is more than a remedy

For it keeps me alive.

It gives me hope,

And brings my passion to life.

Music promises a better day

A life instead of my hate.

I feel the music in my veins,

Keeping my living and breathing today.