When I was flipping through the poem section of March's issue, "Killing Me" by Kaily McGurk caught my eye. It features 3 stanzas, all starting with a word and the part of speech it belongs to like a dictionary. She details what it is like dealing with social anxiety and being criticized by her father for it. Kaily describes the unpleasant feelings she experiences especially in high school when she is forced to talk to people.
     As a person with the same problem as the author, I know exactly what she is talking about. Kaily is able to perfectly illustrate the choking feeling she undergoes, as well as the thought that the situation she is in is killing her. For those who cannot relate, the line, "To stop breath by blocking the windpipe," in the last stanza paints a clear image of the anxiety.
     Kaily also mentions her self-consciousness about her social anxiety in the second paragraph which adds to the emotional appeal. She writes "I never thought that I could be a/ coward,noun:/someone who shrinks from pain to danger/ even when you feel the situation choking you/ you don't back down because/ everyone faces challenges." In addition, her dad's criticism of her pain adds to the sympathetic mood of the poem.
     Kaily did a fantastic job at outlining her struggle with social anxiety, educating and bringing attention to those who don't have it, and providing something for those who do to relate to.