Back to the downpour,
it is a mercy to be held
after decades of ablutions
spent stood

with my rip-roaring motorcar
heart, skin lobster-red,
vision washed out
as if overexposed—

decades of thinking
this is the price
everyone pays
to be clean.

Lillian Hochwender (they/them) is a chronically ill writer and visual artist residing in the American Midwest. Their work spans many genres and often explores embodiment, mortality, and identity. They’ve been published by the likes of Doll Hospital Journal, The Color of Always: An LGBTQIA+ Love Anthology, and The Southwest Review.

Bluesky: @ligerlillie.bsky.social 
Instagram (inactive): @ligerlillie 
Twitter (inactive): @ligerlillie
Website: ligerlillie.portfoliobox.net