Chaos Within Poem by Mohammad Yousef

By Mohammad A. Yousef

Inside my head,
thoughts tumble like leaves in a storm,
swirling, mixing,
life choices and regrets,
like jumbled puzzle pieces,
each one sharp-edged—
they don't quite fit.

A hammering heart,
beats like a drum in a wild parade,
faster, then slower,
like a child running, then finding a place to hide,
sudden shouts of joy
colliding with whispers of fear,
a chorus of confusion,
drowning out the silence
that should wrap around me.

Emotions spill over,
a cup tipped sideways,
waves of sadness crash,
followed by bursts of laughter,
this river of feeling,
sometimes clear,
other times dark and muddy,
swimming upstream,
fighting my own current.

Hope flickers dimly,
a candle in the wind,
its light dances,
fighting to survive the gusts--
Will it burn out?
Or linger,
turn the chaos into warmth,
fill the room with dreams
that float like bubbles,
shimmering at the edge of my vision.

I wear masks,
painted smiles for the world,
but deep down inside,
a tempest rages,
lightning strikes thoughts aglow,
thunder roars through buried fears,
this isn't a simple storm—
it's a beating heart of confusion,
that pulls me under
even as I try to swim.

Yet in all this noise,
there's a rhythm waiting,
a chance to learn my song,
to merge the wild chords,
to find harmony in chaos,
smooth the edges of my mind,
bring my heart to calm,
embrace the waves of emotions
with a gentle touch,
and paint my own path through the storm.

I'll gather the pieces,
hold them in the light,
and build a tapestry—
threads of anxiety and joy,
woven together to show
that from the mess,
can come a picture,
something real and strong,
a world of color born from chaos,
a dance of heartbeats
and ever-changing skies.

So I breathe in deep,
take a moment to stand still,
to greet the chaos with open arms,
not as my enemy,
but as my companion,
reminding me
that even in the wildest storms,
there is beauty
in every raw and tangled moment.