The Chains of the Mind
By Drakaris Thalion

A restless tide that pulls me deep,
A waking dread that steals my sleep.
My thoughts entangle, twist, and creep,
Like whispers carved in wounds that weep.

A heartbeat drums against my chest,
A caged-up bird with no more rest.
Each breath, a war, a failed test,
A body worn, a mind distressed.

My hands, they shake, they clench, they claw,
A silent scream that none else saw.
The world blurs out, my feet withdraw,
As panic grips with icy maw.

A simple task, a mountain steep,
A hill that drowns me in the deep.
Decisions turn to storms that sweep,
And leave me frozen, void and weak.

The ringing hum, the thudding din,
The siren wail beneath my skin.
The walls, they shrink, they trap me in,
As unseen eyes trace where I’ve been.

The stifled air, the endless race,
A twisted maze I cannot face.
The mirror glares, a stranger’s place,
A ghost that wears my name, my face.

The words I say, they twist, they break,
Regret repeats each small mistake.
A single glance, a risk to take,
Yet silence chokes the sound I make.

I see them talk, I feel their gaze,
Each step I take, a judging maze.
Their laughter strikes in muffled waves,
Like knives that carve through empty praise.

A touch, a sound, the world ignites,
My pulse erupts in frantic heights.
The fear takes hold, the chest locks tight,
As reason drowns beneath the night.

A thousand doors, yet none feel right,
Each choice a weight that grips too tight.
The future looms with blinding light,
Yet darkness keeps it out of sight.

Yet somewhere past this war inside,
Beyond the storm where fears collide,
A whisper fights, a flicker guides,
A step still moves, though scars reside.

Though chains may hold, though lungs may ache,
The dawn still calls, the bonds can break.
Each breath may burn, each choice may shake,
But light will rise for those who wake.