Fear starts

in my diaphragm

rising like bile

until it is a primal scream

in my throat

in my head

choking off the air

until I want to crawl

out of my own skin

It’s just anxiety, they say

nothing to be afraid of

But they’re wrong

There’s everything to be afraid of

The world is a scary place

full of scary people

It’s only rational

to be afraid

There’s nowhere that is safe

not your home

not the street

not the workplace or the shops

nowhere

Those who believe in such things

talk about the solar plexus chakra

You have a manipura problem, they say

This controls fear and sense of power

It’s only natural to be afraid, they tell me

Your chakra is out of alignment

Wear yellow

If only it were that easy

But it’s not, unfortunately

And so I go about my day

decked in yellow

Being afraid