Passivity is not merely the absence of action; it is an active imprisonment. This entry documents the "recidivism" of the anxious mind—the habitual return to the safety of doing nothing. It explores the "oubliette" (a dungeon with no exit) constructed by the self, where the "quit" takes the wheel and apathy actively hunts down human will.

The Oubliette of Apathy

This passive, enervating lie,

The shielding phrase of 'I don't care';

While all our chances pass us by,

Anxiety has set a snare.

It can't be hurled, harassed, or hid,

I can not leave myself behind;

It won't be bargained, bought, or bid,

The clock refuses to rewind.

This patient guile of cool disdain,

A casual shrug, an averted eye,

As if I do not feel the strain,

As if I’m not the reason why.

Inaction, spotlight, the cinematic appeals—

A quitter in me always steals the show.

The stolen wheel steers from passionate ideals,

Toward illogical comfort's perfidious foe.

The recidivist is self-outlawed,

This front-page exclusive reels uncouth;

A specious fraudster's sleek facade,

I'm wasting vigor, wasting youth.

This bitter fact has no excuse,

To justify this misused time;

No more will I be a recluse,

My will to stop this daily crime.

My vow is to reclaim today,

I cast this ennui to the void;

I deploy an active foray,

To save the will Apathy near destroyed.

Lexicon

Oubliette: A secret dungeon with access only through a trapdoor in its ceiling.

Recidivist: A convicted criminal who reoffends; habitual relapse.

Perfidious: Deceitful and untrustworthy.

Enervating: Causing one to feel drained of energy or vitality.

Specious: Superficially plausible, but actually wrong; misleading in appearance.

Foray: A sudden attack or incursion into enemy territory, especially to obtain something.

Ennui: A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.