The Lonely

Do you know lonely?

Not the lonely of missing someone a few days

Or the lonely of a Friday night alone

The lonely that cloaks you like a warm blanket

Confusing you of it’s intent

Is it protection, or is it isolation

Unsure if it’s comforting you or suffocating you

It’s maddening for light to shine on your darkness

So you believe the lies

“This was your choice”

“It’s only temporary”

“You just needed some time alone”

But as the sun rises and falls

The lies you tell yourself become easy to believe

And just like that it has you

Content in choices convinced you made

Doing the work of loneliness on its behalf

Now it’s isolation and suffocation you crave

And you don’t even know it’s lonely