I wrote this poem to vent about my negative experiences and anxiety at school. Because my school's mascot is a wolf, I used the heartworm (hence the poem's title, Dirofilaria immitis) as a metaphor to describe myself/my struggles. The jackal, being an animal that relies heavily on cooperative hunting, represents "the crowd" or the majority. I strive for independence and prefer more solitary activities, hence "escaping". The stanza about alarms alludes to loud noises (which make me very anxious) and bullying. The third stanza is perhaps the one that relates the most to this poem's title, describing a heart that is "breaking" in a more medical and visceral manner, while the final one states that I am determined to get through this and emerge as a better person.