I gotta do my physics, but
I dunno how to start,
And my room has dirty clothes strewn through —
It's all falling apart —
And I haven't eaten dinner,
And I haven't slept in days,
And I gotta fill out college application form essays.

My to-do lists are five feet long with
Every box unchecked.
All my friends are in another world
While I'm a nervous wreck,
And I think the sky is falling,
And that everything looks blue,
'Cause I can't look at my homework when I have more things to do.

Everybody makes me mad.
They all seem to hate me.
Mom and Dad don't understand
Why I'm being such a baby, even
Though they were the ones who raised an uptight, stubborn, feeds-on-praise,
Kid perfectionist, they say my wits are fine (they're badly frayed.)

Apparently, I "think too deep"
On puddles, molehills, small details.
Anxiety has oversteeped my brain and told me that I've failed
Before my pen reaches the page,
Before I've gotten my new grade,
Before the future turns to present,
It says I might as well just end it.

Tunnel vision, blinders on —
Don't look down at greener lawns.
Don't look anywhere but at
The path laid out, straight up ahead.
Focus, man!
I can't, I can't.
I'm trying, I promise you that,
But Sweatervest is whispering,
And Silver-Rings is fidgeting,
And Mr. Teach is lecturing,
And everything sounds interesting!
The table's cool beneath my arms.
The paper's right in front of me.
My doodles hide in every margin;
Black and blue, the lines are clean.
Each sensation tells a story.
I listen in for just a bit,
But when it's over, I get stuck
With all the questions that I've missed.

After class, I've been assigned
Something I can surely do.
After all, I'm not that dumb —
It's just real hard to follow through.
And so I get set up to work:
My notes are out, my laptop on,
My pens are all laid out and neat-
But wait! There's something I forgot.
I had an orthodontist thing last Tuesday, I recall,
So instead of simply physics work, I've got to do it all.