Bad Habits – Nail biting

I picked and picked and chewed my nails to the quick
Like the secret to life was at the tips of my fingers -
If only I could chew away enough keratin to find it.
Then I wrapped waterproof bandages round each one
With cartoon prints and animal patterns, always a kid.
They rubbed and chaffed, slipped off wet thumbs
And fell in distraught crowds to battered floors; Whilst
Aching fingertips and surrounding skin turning sickly white
Posed difficulties to a mind telling me to chew, chew, chew
In fevered frenzy of self-cannibalism. And this is stress-relief?