Shownotes
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise.
Homecoming
Kara Dobias
The world wants to be kind, I think.
But too often, we are warned of its dangers
before we can meet its light.
I learned to live in the shadow
of others’ fear and felt it manifest
as my own,
self-censoring the softest
parts of me out of safety,
but I’m becoming something new.
I don’t want to be good so much as brave.
To make the agreement to be disagreeable
when it counts.
If I am to be beholden to anything,
let it be
truth,
so that I may stand as a pillar of a woman
you can lean on.
I’ll lay myself bare,
and for once, not worry about
the consequences.
Instead, I’ll choose to embrace
the perfect contradiction
I know myself to be.
The very version of me I learned
to outrun.
You can only ignore the gnawing of your soul for so long.
So, who have I been denying myself for?
An internal tug-of-war that has stood only
to hurt me.
To be a beacon of sincerity,
I must show you my true face.
I’m easily disillusioned by the mundane.
The creator runs deep in my marrow.
Left an untapped well,
I become undone.
I need something I can pour into.
That’s the only way
I feel whole.
I was never meant to live within the bounds
of a limited imagination.
I came here to break the mold.
This is the end of my season of seeking.
No more performing to be palatable.
I give myself permission to feel safe
in being seen.
Let opinions fall where they may.
I’d rather inspire confusion
than be a vessel for unfulfilled dreams.
Finally, I’ve come home
to me.
More from Kara Dobias ↓
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One Poem Only submissions are open.
I’m filling the next chapter of One Poem Only and would love to include your work. Send me the poem you wrote and want the world to hear. New this round: if you’d like to read your own poem on the podcast, you can. No need for a perfect studio recording—just a clear audio file recorded in a quiet space. If you choose this option, you’ll submit your poem and an audio file of you reading it. Submissions close Thursday, July 30. I’ll respond by August 12. Whether I read your poem or you read it yourself, I’d love to hear what you’re ready to share.
