vision blurred
words are slurred
the lines are merged
and all the letters have converged
oh, woe is me
my story is so out of focus
have i ruined my life’s opus?
i pray not a single soul will notice
that i’m going through neurosis 
please, please don’t look
this book called “me” is incomplete
and yet it may never be able to compete 
as i type, delete, and repeat, i feel the heat
then, i mentally retreat 
to an unknown island of a fabricated reality 
i’m scared, you see? and i’m paralyzed 
i have myself terrorized
terrified and petrified 
practically immobilized 
all in fear of the ticking clock of my mortality.

peyton henderson-howell