In the shadow of fear

Teetering on the edge
with a foot
in the abyss
always
how can you
live
with fear
breathing down your neck
every
 moment?


Every
breath an agony
every
heartbeat
a fearsome
tattoo

Each
second
ghosts
leap out
from the
shadows
to devour
you

and you cower
helplessly

Each
minute
another
bothersome
thought
plagues
your
mentation

how can you
live
like this?

In the quicksand
of  your
worries
one fear
allayed
is quickly
replaced
by the other

and you
wilfully
sink
letting the burning sands
engulf
you


Have you
seen yourself
in the mirror
lately?
you
mutterer
stutterer
wide eyed
fear monger


Your nightmares
unbridled
have spilt
the confines
of your brain
and are
prowling
the
backyard
of my mind


like a plague
your contagion
pollutes the
very air
I am breathing

And my grip
on the rescue
ladder
seems slippery