Instant Panic

There’s time for Instant Panic, the full attack
The throbbing heart, the breath drawn by fighting back
    Must wait – Come, give me one three-sentence wail: 

“What oh what oh what am I going to do?
'If you’re late, you’re fired': oh, is that always true?
    What oh what oh what am I going to do?” 

Add three sobs, a moan, ‘Why do I always fail?’
Your Instant Panic package will now expire
As you plunge yourself anew into the mire

Hibah Shabkhez

Hibah Shabkhez is a writer of the half-yo literary tradition, an erratic language-learning enthusiast, and a happily eccentric blogger from Lahore, Pakistan. Her work has previously appeared in Plainsongs, Microverses, Sylvia Magazine, Better Than Starbucks, Post, Wine Cellar Press, and a number of other literary magazines. Studying life, languages, and literature from a comparative perspective across linguistic and cultural boundaries holds a particular fascination for her. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/HibahShabkhez