Anxiety forces another beam of steel through my belly,
apprehension caps my lungs,
and tangles them in wire.

Electricity jolts my chest
yanking a mechanical heart to life.

Oil slicks my throat
choking me into silence.

Perhaps terror stole my voicebox
too
and only the gears in my brain
scream.

Maria copes with stress by listening to Steam Powered Giraffe, and writing strange poetry.