Chasing Shadows

Today my mind has been misbehaving.
I am not entirely certain
What awakened it,
But my anxiety has been raging.

Am I overtired?
Overstimulated?
Under-exercised?
Yes, to all three.

Now the night has arrived.
I should be content.
The day is done.
The world has grown quiet.

Yet I can feel it within me,
Squirming.
A restless discomfort
That refuses to settle.

Like a serpent coiled inside my body,
Twisting through muscle and bone,
Knocking against my ribs,
My stomach,
My thoughts,
Searching desperately
For a way out.

I know it is not real,
Yet its presence feels undeniable.
A writhing shadow
Beneath the skin.

Sleep may be my only refuge.
The salvation of unconsciousness.

The place where the serpent loosens its grip,
And the mind finally falls silent.

Until then,
I sit in the darkness,
Chasing shadows.