The clock ticks faster, a relentless drum,
Each beat a hammer on my weary head.
Responsibilities pile, a stifling hum,
Anxiety’s tendrils tighten, unsaid.

Thoughts race like squirrels in a frantic wheel,
Chasing deadlines, worries without end.
Sleep becomes a distant, foreign meal,
Muscles tense, a knot I cannot mend.

Breath shallow, rapid, a trapped bird’s song,
Chest constricts, a weight upon my soul.
The world seems harsh, a dissonant throng,
Each task a mountain, taking its toll.

But wait, a whisper in the storm’s loud roar,
A gentle breeze that bids the tension cease.
A pause, a breath, I close the frantic door,
And find within a moment’s fragile peace.

For stress may grip, but it does not define,
This too shall pass, like clouds across the sky.
With mindful steps, I’ll seek a calmer line,
And let the weight, for now, gently lie.

So breathe, dear heart, and find a moment’s grace,
This storm will break, and sunlight will return.
Remember, even in this stressful space,
There’s strength within, waiting to be born.