Panic to Sleep

Breathing,
In,
Out.
Rhythmic and comporting until
It increases in speed,
Muscles pound as my heartbeat rises.

Short,
Sharp
Breaths.
A steam train.

Something inside stirs,
A feeling,
Panic,
Panic?
Panic!

Don't panic, don't panic!
But words get stuck,
Fractured in between
gasping gulps of air,
The panic gets worse.

I can't talk,
Can't breathe,
Thin, stifling air
Does not satisfy screaming lungs.

Concentration slips,
A veil over wild eyes.
Just as a building collapses,
So do my legs give way.

Falling.

As I hit the ground
I can feel my bones jar,
But I am ok.
A feathery feeling,
A cushioning fall,
At last my body gives in.

The veil,
Stifles the sound
Of my erratic breathing,
Shadows caress me, cradling
In their soft arms.

Until finally,
Sleep,
Sleep?
Sleep!