Satisfaction | Hannah Schenk - Poetry Contest 2nd Place Winner - Summer 2025

The pharmacist said that these ones would make me feel wired. And as I exit, I find it nauseating. This beat-up sedan begs me to drive it off the road. I stare into every window in this college town. I disrespect every ounce of privacy these people think they have. I stick my med head out of my window to get a good whiff of the air. It smells rancid, almost fermented, and yet somehow it reminds me of Florida circa 2015, balmy and wet on an obligatory vacation. I wake up in pools of my own sweat to be reminded that I am not 11 but rather in an Upstate September filled with fog. Sometimes it feels like hours pass in minutes. During my hiatus, a wrong number texted me. She referred to me as Amy and asked when I would arrive at the barbecue tomorrow evening. My correction comes with a follow-up: I’m very sorry, I entered the wrong number. I hope I didn‘t disturb you for a good day. If you are in Los Angeles, I will treat you to a cup of coffee and apologize. I fantasize about a flight to get coffee with this elusive wrong number, to ask about Amy and her missed barbecue party. Another text lights up my phone in an otherwise pitch-black room: I think maybe we can become friends because of this beautiful misunderstanding. My name is Becky. What should I call you? And so we converse. Becky is 36 years old, born in Canada. Working in LA for the time being. I ask her what she does for a living–but at 6 pm she stops responding for good. The fruit flies in my room have started talking back. I stick my head out of the window once again. I take two more sleeping pills for good measure, and I tip and teeter on the balls of my feet. The balmy air begins to smell sweet. In the morning, I walk into my first class, the fluorescent burns my eyes. The chalkboard reads an equation:

Satisfaction = Liking – Wanting

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Hannah Schenk is a creative writer and editor currently pursuing a BA in Creative Writing with a focus on poetry at Syracuse University. She has honed her poetic craft through a certificate program at the New York State Writers Institute at Skidmore College. She currently works as Assistant Editor for Perception Magazine, Syracuse’s only student-run literary and art publication.