Poems by
Ekta Singh

An Agreement between Me and My Anxiety

a poem by Ekta Singh

I asked where do you reside
My anxiety smirked, said
Is there any place better to hide?
Under your skin, I breathe
That paining jaw and tightening chest
Can I have a better place to live?

Amid your bewilderment of heavy breath
And crazy heartbeat
I reside, I reside and I reside.
I felt defeated at its adamancy
My kindness suggested me to draft
An agreement between me and my anxiety.

The agreement expressed the grounds.
As I picked up the pen, the paper sighed.
Ignoring the thoughtfulness of my inanimate ally
I just continued inking it further.
Did I mention that my anxieties were on the table?

For the agreement can’t be drafted without its terms and conditions.
I proposed to be permitted to come back to the present
And just breath, feel and age.
My anxiety smirked again, it knew
That this was what I found on the internet.
It leaned in and tightened its grip around my skin.
Knowing that it won’t be so easy,
I negotiated, I negotiated and I negotiated.