I believe there are two kinds of anxiety. There’s the everyday garden variety that accompanies stress—when we have to speak in public or we experience turbulence on an airplane.
Then there’s the chronic, clinical kind. It comes in a wave without reason or warning. It affects the quality of our life, and we may require help to deal with it.
This song is about that second kind, and the benefits of talking about it openly.
Lyrics
Fear Rising
Sometimes I feel my fear rising
Like steam inside my heart
It climbs into my head
And tries to tear my world apart
I lose my equilibrium
I lose my frame, I lose my art
It moved in quite some time ago
Like some brash unwanted guest
I tried hard to outthink it
But I couldn’t pass that test
Still I keep thinking and thinking
Because that’s what I do best
I worry ‘bout my ability
There’s a lot of that goin’ round
I worry ‘bout my stability
And the unevenness of ground
I worry about my worrying
As stupid as that sounds
This fear is like a part of me
It’s my own cross to bear
Some self-inflicted enemy
That I could not share
I tried to stuff it in a closet
But I could not keep it there
Now this all pours out of me
And I feel the winds of change
The power of the melody
Sometimes strong,
and sometimes strange
We all have our ways
To try and carry on
Now I can look toward the days
When this fear of mine is gone
I thank you for your listening
I thank you for your care
I’d have told you about it sooner
But I didn’t think it fair
I’ve got a ways to go
But I’m getting there
Sometimes I feel my fear rising
Like steam inside my heart
It climbs into my head
And tries to tear my world apart
But now I’ve got an answer
I’ve found somewhere to start
© Gary Poole 2023