Another prompt! I just like prompts... Happy writing! Just write the first thing that comes to mind when you think, "own pace"

My eyes are no longer tight,

And my smile is finally bright,

And rarely forced.

In fact,

I have to force myself not to smile most of the time.

And I got to this point,

All on my own,

While following my own timeline,

At my own pace.

I'm no longer bound,

By those shackles of anxiety.

Though I do still have them,

I can finally go about my life with a dare,

And I'm finally letting myself not always care.

I'm no longer standing on the edge of the cliff,

I'm no longer in the middle of the ocean without knowing how to swim,

And I'm no longer burning.

Cause I'm finally not always edgy,

And I can finally breathe freely.

These shackles of anxiety,
Oh, how they bind me!
I've forgotten what it's like to be without a care!
To live without feeling edgy,
Oh, to breathe freely!
What is it like to go about with a dare?
Why not tell about my plight?
People tell me they care every other night!
But if they care, how do they not see me drowning?
They always comment on how my smile is bright,
Yet they fail to see how my eyes are tight,
But I guess I'll go on smiling while I'm burning.