Barring Silence

Much like I was frozen in time,

they stood around me in droves,

laughter and looks,

the latest moments in their lives,

my heart rate pounding, I only remain still,

waiting for a moment, yet having no idea why,

-thoughtful disassociation-

further inside the depth of my fear,

a comfort zone began to evolve,

in my own skin, breathing fire,

the voice internalized anxiety,

I need something, somehow, a distraction,

~

When it happens,

there really is little explanation,

a noticeable shift in the societal climate,

eyes dancing elsewhere,

I grab my book, and toss out of the joint without looking back.

(inspired by a writer’s own passage on public anxiety)