about anxiety

about her, she is a squatter 

who rips eviction notices 

to loiter in the sitting room

not welcome but always overstaying 

oblivious to how harmful her presence is

silently explosive in ways you try not to detonate

and irrationally jealous you have days apart 

then clingy to ensure it won’t happen again 

codependent with your discomfort 

yet weaved into your core 

where the life source hums like a generator 

in the belly their initials carved into you 

romantic, permanent graffiti