A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud.

Ugly Bones by Ella B. Winters

Ella B. Winters

Behind the dusty radiator,

green splashed like blood

spray in a B-film, from that time

when you decided

to paint our bedroom

in the middle of the night,

I keep my poems

hidden in a puce manila file

so unremarkable, it chameleons

into the background, pink tongue

unfurling to swallow my words

into the shadowy crevice.

Mostly, I don’t want you

to see them, as though,

in the starkness of the early

hours, when our walls

demand another change,

they might reveal my ugly

bones through the translucent

skin. But sometimes, I forget

they’re there, as well. Imagine

leaving them behind when we

move on. Who will I be when

unsuspecting tenants pull me

out word after word like a magician’s

string of endless gauzy scarves?

How will they piece my naked bones

together? What colour will they

paint the room?

More from Ella B. Winters ↓

1. @ella.b.winters on Instagram
2. @ellabwinters on Substack

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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.

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