Burnout

My thoughts are wriggling,

Thrashing in my overcooked brain.

Waves of heat radiate through my body

As tendrils crawl into my chest.

I am suffocating on my own experiences,

Choking on each second

Acutely aware of each breath

I know I cannot take.

A sharp metallic tang fills my nose,

Like metal grinding against bone–

Fracturing foundations like fingerprints

Pressed relentlessly into my skull.

I am falling asleep,

Yawning until I cannot see.

Exhaustion is all I can taste,

A slick oily sheen coated with sweetness.

I wake up a shell,

Memories intact.

Still tired.

So tired.

I combust and collapse.

Naught but ashes left

Of a well-worn soul.