Withdrawal

taper the dose

till the body adjusts

to absence

head scattered

like a dropped box of beads

pearls sliding beneath floorboards

stomach aches

craves sugar grinding between molars

bone to dust

powder on tongue

brain folds crinkled like a discarded wrapper

static shock

zap

pop

slowly

serotonin settles

dopamine returns

bouncing in synapses

fizzing like popping candy

Rose Ramsden is a UK based poet currently studying for her Creative Writing Masters at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her work has been previously published by bathmagg, Ink Sweat & Tears, Propel and 14poems, among others. In 2024, she was a winner of Switchboard's 50 Year Anniversary Poetry Competition. You can find her on Instagram and Bluesky @RoseRamsden.