“Everything I Can Tell You Instead of Replying” by Isabela Cordero

I can recite to you the ingredients I need to make a nice pernil and some toasty garlic buttermilk buns 

I can tell you about the woman unfamiliar with the concept of personal space on the train as she eats a crumby croissant 

I could spend hours wondering why the house is frigid and the heat doesn’t go on until 3

I could tell you I eat more ramen than I should and in too short of the time

I should tell you I tore the top of the pashmina, pretty sure there’s a hole in it too 

I can retell the plots of romance novels I haven’t read in over five years and tell you about every scene where they have tomato soup and a cheese sandwich in bed

I can dissect why I continue to scarf down chocolate 

I can tell you I spent over an hour making collages for my desktop screen which I think all turned out quite spectacular

I could tell you I already have an idea for a short story although I should try finishing the book I’ve been writing 

I can surely tell you I wrote this while I was starring down your text, ignoring your offer for a pizza date Friday, my finger hovering over the option to delete it. 

Isabela Cordero is an undergraduate student at Eugene Lang, The New School, majoring in literary studies and minoring in history. Her primary genre is fiction, with a secondary genre of poetry. She’s passionate about the art of storytelling and hopes to one day publish a novel.