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The land was barren
The sky was black
Once again my vulnerable mind
Had fallen under attack

Leading his powerful army
Over the hill with a shout
Came the commanding General
Crippling Doubt

He’s ready for the battle
And armed to the hilt
With Second-Guessing, Self-Hatred
Mistakes I’ve Made, and Guilt

A little behind the General
Is someone I’ve already met
And I have no defense against
The weapons of Colonel Regret

As each arrow strikes me
The what-ifs flood my mind
That boy I should have talked to
The times I should have been kind

My defenses are already down
So who next could it be
But the one who eats away at my soul
Captain Insecurity

She tells me I’ll never be good enough
And I cover my ears but still hear
About my flaws and weaknesses
My embarrassment and fear

Near the back of the group
Looking positively manic
The one who leaves me out of control
Of course it’s Sergeant Panic

I feel my stomach clenching
My pulse races, my palms burn
I could have maybe fought the others
But this one will have his turn

Bringing up the rear, the last soldier
Comes up slowly, almost at a crawl
Though he doesn’t look that dangerous
Private Memory’s the worst of them all

He seeps into my broken brain
Showing me what I’ll never have again
The faces are blurry, the voices fuzzy
A painful montage of “way back when”

So I wait it out, like I always do
And beg them to be on their way
I’ll live to fight the Army
Of Anxiety another day