One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise.

Not mine anymore

Avalon

If my words are my own

They are all that I have

Except... that’s not quite right

If my words are my own

They abandon me when I most need it

And, that never feels right

My words are my own

And they blink in and out

A lighthouse on the shore

While I’m drowning

My words are my own

And others desperately pry them out of me

A clam with a pearl

A person blinded by the reward

My words are my own

They yearn to hear it

My words are my own

My words are my-

My words are-

My words-

My words are my own

I cannot repeat them

Utterance loses meaning

If my words are my own

Why must I give them away?

More from Avalon ↓

• @avalonspoems on Instagram
• Her book, Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it weird, is available now

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Poetry slows us down. Thank you for listening.

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Write After with One Poem Only

Write After is a way to encourage poets to listen and write, and use National Poetry Month to highlight how listening to poetry makes us better poets. I know I write the best when I’m surrounded by beautiful poetry–it’s part of the reason I created this podcast, and I want to encourage others to share this practice. If you want to join: Listen to a poem from the month of April on One Poem Only, then write your own in response. I will pick one for each day to read in June for a special series: One Poem After 🍎🍏 Submissions close May 15.

Write After Submissions Form