Spiraling thoughts in a cracking economy

I got locked in, floating up and going down the spiral.
I read and read, listen and listen,
highlighting terms I knew—but that now carry real weight.

I can't stop zooming in on the details.
Like a painter with a fine brush, adding the faintest hint of white.
You really have to see, to see.

Page after page, I sink deeper.
My foot tingles, numb from sitting too still.
The light in the room shifts.
I'm obsessed.

I hear things aren’t going well.
That our systems are cracking.
That there’s less and less room to breathe.
It’s not that subtle anymore.
We can all see the white flecks in the painting—if we focus, right?

Then I step outside.
While I wonder if our entire way of living is about to collapse,
I see a young woman, pushing a stroller,
her hair catching the afternoon sun.

Still, I can’t shake the question:

What do you do when your thoughts feel urgent but the world stays quiet?