After I Lost Him

Barbara Ehrentreu

The sun still shined

Though its rays didn't warm me

Encased in my shell of grief

My body felt neither heart not cold

One entire side of me was lost

Lopsided I stayed indoors

Not attempting to face the world alone

Teetering in uneven terrain

I tried navigating by myself

Dipping my toe into the water of being alone

And gradually I mended

Put together with strands of tenderness cemented with passing time

More from Barbara Ehrentreu ↓

• @barbaraehrentreu on Instagram
• You can read more of her writing on her blog: Barbara's Meanderings
• Her book, You’ll Probably Forget Me: Living With and Without Hal, is out now
• As is her YA novel, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor

Mentioned in this episode:

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.