#verselove - 2 Bop poem - The Gremlin

For the month of April, I am participating in 30 days of #verselove poetry writing with Dr. Sarah J. Donovan's Ethical ELA. 

Today's inspiration was offered by Mo Daley, who credits poet Afaa Michael Weaver with developing the  'bop' poem:

• 3 stanza poem
  • Stanza 1 is 6 lines long and presents a problem
  • Stanza 2 is 8 lines long and explores or expands the problem
  • Stanza 3 is 6 lines long and presents the solution or shows the failed attempt at resolution
• Each stanza is followed by a refrain

I brainstormed problems that were on my mind, and realized today felt pretty problem-free. Why was that? I'm in a calm place these days. Though, that's not always so! Some days, everything feels like a problem - days when I am clearly anxious. I decided to make anxiety the focus of my poem. 

The Gremlin

I am
all alone
forgotten and fragile
spinning, sputtering, simmering
my mind the knotted mess of a six year old’s shoelaces
surrounded by situations at once unsolvable and essential to fix

step back, look away, go run and play

when so many alarm bells ring
what am I going to do?
what did they mean by that?
will they be okay? will they be alright?
can this even be fixed?
why did it have to be this way?
everything exaggerated exasperating exacting
the gremlin is anxiety

step back, look away, go run and play

take a deep cleansing breath and say her name
Anxious Annie you’re visiting again!
I’m going to head out 
by myself
awhile
ok?

step back, look away, go run and play