Nervousness Pantoum

The pitbulls of anxiety pass--
You can unfurl your brow now.
That potential chomp on your ass
is but a shadow who bows.

You can unfurl your brow now
that you recall that the threat has no mass;
It is but a shadow who bows
Under the weight of worries so crass.

That you recall that the threat has no mass
is reminder enough, proof enough
that under the weight of worries so crass,
only the scent of damp earth can hold.

Is it reminder enough, proof enough,
of worry for old-time worry's sake: that
only the scent of damp earth can hold
you close to true meaning?

Because of worry for old-time worry's sake,
-That potential chomp on your ass-
Do you close to true meaning
Until the pitbulls of anxiety pass?

I had been beset by anxiety for the past week, in anticipation of a couple of impending events (not bad ones, just work-related). On my way home from the most nerve-wracking one, I stepped off the streetcar at a stop by a park where the gardeners were working. The smell of wet soil came to me as such a soothing perfume that I carefully took it in and immediately felt better. I remembered what I had learned from the New Year's Eve fiasco and applied it. What a "grounding" experience!