Prompt: Pick an emotion. But don't say what it is. Describe it. How it feels, what it looks like, how it acts.
- 1 -
A tightly clenched ball.
A jaw grinding.
Breathing quickens and eyes dart.
It's dark grey.
Like storm clouds.
But this lightning
is shocks of red.
Really it's a headache.
Unclear.
And unreasonable.
Tapping incessantly.
Twisting.
Building.
Hounding.
Pounding.
It creeps up.
A small snowball
grows
as you roll
it gains momentum
it's unstoppable.
Heart pounds.
And suddenly
there's a pressure
in your chest
constricting
and piercing.
An endless stream
a list of to-do's
less have-done's
more due dates
Are you finished yet?
You're late
You're rushing
It's not finished yet
There's 8 more things to do
And you're paralyzed
Is it right?
Can't answer the questions
if the concept's not understood
But that was covered
last week
weren't you here?
What have you been doing?
Haven't you finished?
There's 16 more problems
And your friend
still isn't
talking to you
What went wrong?
Can't this be fixed?
And your grandma is sick
nothing in your power
Is there nothing to be done?
And your brother
he's in trouble
what's he doing with his life?
Aren't you going to finish?
Wait there's 32 answers needed
What to wear?
How to speak?
Where to go?
What to be?
Are you finished?
Because
time
is
up.
- 2 -
I am searing
I am white-hot
I am burning
I am bundled
I am mixed-up
I am twisted
I am mindless
I am Cro-Magnon
I am primal
I am red
I am blood
I am slashes
I will find
I will take
I will posses
And then I will destroy
Ah, I associated number 1 with anxiety, and the pressure of doing something, anything, productive within a time limit. It's that feeling I remember getting when I had five papers due in the same week and not having started any of them (or I started, but I couldn't finish....) and on top of things you should do, you've got home life and people to worry about that distracts you and adds to the anxiety. Even though I hate that feeling, I loved how you described it, bringing back "haven't you finished?" "aren't you finished yet?" because it happens all the gawddarn time! It describes exactly how I'm feeling right now.
ReplyDeleteAs for number 2, it's anger. I'm on the same wavelength--I love the use of diction. It's simple, but describes so much. "Primal" "red" "blood" "searing"--love it!