Precipice

How does a downward spiral begin

Is it loud, stomping tantrums with great fanfare and flailing arms?

or is it quiet, unassuming,

 

soft like kitten paws.

or whispered nothings in your mind.  

fleeting thoughts that wander in and stay awhile

and then wander out leaving the slightest imprint, 

like wet footprints on a scorching hot sidewalk.  

or not a pulsating, pounding, paranoid headache but a dull ache like sadness on the heart that keeps on beating.  

or a smile but with eyes that won't meet yours 

that would rather stare into the distance

searching for clouds in a cloudless sky.  

I sit at the center of a vortex, cross-legged, eyes closed, hands over ears.  

It's quiet and still in the middle.