I lose time, hours pass
As I sit alone, thoughts whirring
Hard thoughts, concrete
That weighs me down
My head, my body
Heavy, no control
Like I’m being sucked into quicksand
Can’t get out
No escape from the terror
Flashbacks that
Repeat, repeat
In my head
Then, at last
Someone I know phones me
Jerking me into 'The Now'
I tell her all about it
She tells me her troubles too
We say we are there for each other
Then we talk about cool stuff
Everyday stuff
Like how I finally washed my dishes
The great new tune I heard on the radio
The live music gig she is going to soon
Her new boyfriend
I feel my head lifting, my posture improves
I unfurl from my foetal position
I feel 'normal' again
Then, I check my phone
56 minutes have passed
So, I quickly finish on another positive note
I tell my friend my usual joke
'Why are Pirates called Pirates?'
Used to this she sighs 'oh no, not again'
I say 'Because they just AAAaarrrr'
I always have to say it properly
Like in the Pirate films
We laugh and feel lighter
It works every time
We say goodbye
Lost time I actually enjoyed