being locked into isolation,

unable to crawl

into any semblance of company,

is one of life's

cruelest chambers.

the echoes of loneliness

collide around you,

until the lack of love

is something

you can't just ignore.

you're forced to face it.

you're forced to compensate,

and in that reparation

of giving yourself warmth

instead of finding it elsewhere,

you learn a lesson

many will never know.

you learn to love yourself.

you become your own comfort,

your own light to follow

when you start to feel lost.

you learn to be alone

instead of lonely.