another​
Isabel Li

solitude: it lingers on my tongue
              like an insipid,
indigestible pill, waiting to lurch
              into my throat,
tightened with a cloying angst.
              just swallow it
like pride, perhaps. i need my 
              body to accept
the inert aftertaste of anguish, 
              feverish skin
starved of warmth from a familiar’s
              presence, singular
sobs stuttering upon sighs. but it’s 

              blissful, isn’t it?

​the freeing silence, untethered to
              any stranger’s
heartstrings, without the stubborn
              aches from a
forced smile, nor the blistering
              chills of 
conscious perception. heal me
              from the dizzying
enigma of longing--
              
              just to find
myself yearning for 
              another

Isabel (SC ‘25) is a writer, artist, and musician studying at Scripps. When she’s not actively brainstorming ideas for her next poem, you can find her sculpting, worldbuilding, or indulging in romantic-era string quartets.