Shadows In The Mind Poem by Lewis Dever

The morning comes like a slap to the face,
Another day in this relentless race.
The air feels thick, like it's choking me out,
Each breath a question, each step a doubt.

The voices rise before I'm even awake,
A sinister chorus I can't seem to shake.
"Why try? Why fight? It's all for naught, "
Their words dig deeper than any thought.

Paranoia lingers, a shadow in the room,
Every corner hiding another doom.
I see their eyes where there are none,
I feel their gaze, though they've long gone.

Anxiety isn't just a fleeting fear,
It's a constant hum, always near.
My chest tightens; my hands betray,
Trembling through another useless day.

Low mood isn't sadness; it's a hole,
A blackened pit swallowing my soul.
It doesn't cry, it doesn't scream,
It just drowns every fragile dream.

Even love feels distant, a blurry face,
A fleeting warmth I can't embrace.
People talk, but their words don't land,
I'm too far gone to understand.

Every shadow feels alive with hate,
Every sound a warning of my fate.
The walls are closing; the lights are dim,
And I'm left drowning, unable to swim.

I wish I could end on something profound,
But truth has no comfort, no solid ground.
I'm tired of fighting; I'm tired of me,
A shadow of who I used to be.