stream

Breathe slowly quietly gently

Ignore the stutters in the exhale

Pretend I can't feel my heartbeat

Swallow down the nausea

You're fine it's fine everything is fine

Dig my nails into my palms my thighs pull my hair

Focus on the sting and nothing else

Heat crawls with sticky fingers across my chest and up my neck

It curls into pools in the dips behind my ears

And settles like stones behind my eyes

Shame whispers to me and I ignore her

Shame whispers to me and I ignore her

Shame whispers to me and I -

The tendrils are too choking to ignore