Caught In An Hourglass

The following piece was awarded Highly Commended in the OU Students Association Freshers Writing Competition for Freshers Fortnight 2023 (25 Sept – 8 Oct). The author, Jamie-Lee, lives in Chelmsford and is studying towards BSc (Hons) Psychology.

Content warning: mental health, anxiety.

Caught in an hourglass, well, that’s how I feel,

Heart beating fast, my panic becomes real.

I try to be brave and step outside my zone,

But nerves grip me, oh I feel so alone.

Time continues on at its steady pace,

But my mind is lost, running in a race.

To fit in, to speak up, to make a friend,

To reach those things, my fears don’t end.

The hours pass, days turn to weeks,

And though time moves on, my anxiety speaks.

Every part of my life is a constant strain,

My struggles with social circles, will always remain.

But I know for certain, that time is my friend,

Each minute I get, a chance to try it again.

With courage and strength, I’ll face my fears,

To let go of my anxiety, when it appears.

For ‘emit’ spelt in reverse is a message in time,

Overcoming my anxiety, for certain a climb.

With belief in myself, to walk out the door,

And live with my social anxiety, no more.