the pounding walls of fear
beating, pulsing in my head
rising and descending
like ritual panic

my entire being becomes
engulfed, encircled
in a never ending maze
of sound and sight

lungs enhale the vacuum
the nothingness of the unknown
inhaling the fear that forever flows
pulsing, beating, rushing from my heart

no escape, petrified, paralized
pulses of blood beat harder within
the black outer skin of a grotesque charade
masquerade in airless cell
the prison of the mind, a blackened shell