Like the TikTok logo,
the blue line holds down the red one, bound by a knot.

Fever is gripping your body from inside,
revolting in trembling between blue and red.

Nausea.
Dizziness.
Wet hands.

Heart beating in the ears,
ticking faster… and faster…
like a plane accelerating to take off.

But here,
the take-off means…
fainting into a bleak crash of apoplexia.

Unconsciousness.

Mind shaking on its axis,
or like the needle skipping on the record,
replaying alarming sounds.

Inner Joe wants to escape somewhere,
in another time,
to another space
where the dreadful, scary projection
is unstuck from his mental screen.

Mind is shaking its paw around
in the fog of cold sweats, desperately,
like a dog shaking itself
to get rid of fleas.

Imagination lights are all lit
on the display of the supercomputer
powering its crazy delirium.

All the weights are balanced
on this scale of dangers,
permuted…
and the piggy bank of “what if” is broken.

All the money… is in.

The school of monsters is delivering
cohorts after cohorts
of elite runners,
each bearing a poison
of a different hue.

They run insanely in circles
on the track of despair.

The self,
the ultimate superfan of the mind,
is holding its breath
at the edge of the chair,
like through the penalties
at the final of the World Cup.

Which horror will strike the last point
to win the badge of honor?

In which order will the events
of supplication unfold?

Inadequacy.

We don’t accept our bread of each day
in humility… and repentance.

Fear is the blue line in the logo,
in which we are the red line
trying to extract ourselves
from a 3D movie
to a black-and-white one.

We throw the 4D glasses,
but the screen is even more evil-looking.

Blurry is hitting your retina and brain matter
like Tyson in the 12th round.

We want to close the TV,
but nobody knows
where we threw the remote.

Fearing is a habit.
Fear today.
Fear every day.

Fear is the unbridled mind
always looking
for the thrill of danger.

No rationale could trigger fear
unless you are in the forest
and see the bear coming for you,
or you hear the buzzing
of a killer drone.

But even then,
a last prayer to God
is a better use of your time
than fearing the inevitable.

Those who fear
are slaves of this master,
from little dizziness and discomfort
to full panic…
and hell in the pipe.

If you are your own master,
you will not be slave to fear.

And if fear appears,
because we are human,
fear God first,
so no fear can overcome you.

I wish to say:
Do not fear.

Do not fear!

The most useless phrase
in the world.

To not fear,
you have to have trust.
And trust takes time.
Effort.

If not,
if you are a random mortal
like myself,
you procrastinate
and wait for the fear
to push you
to do all in warp speed.

Last-minutism…
it’s a choice,
but when the deadline comes

Here,
hear the fear.

sssssss

The ssssnake is rattling its tail.

ssssss

No blink.

Blind silence… before the assault.

Hyper-vigilance.

The crack in the forest.

You hear him!

Absolutely:

It’s the Sasquatch!

Slowly…

Grab your phone,

TikTok it before it’s too late,

You’ll be the luckiest victim
on the planet.

You’re blue and cold now…

But…

Are you afraid?

My dear friend:

Yes! You can! It always matters!

Push yourself,

No chilling Fear will keep you again
with the blue leash.

Don’t fear Fear!

Sharpen your blade!

Cut the knot!

Be your own Master!