Broken

Ani Leland

They say I'm heartbroken

But heartache can't sufficiently describe

How the physical agony in my chest steals the air from my lungs

Pain so visceral tears seem trivial - not a worthy outlet of emotion

These windows to my soul are dry, seeing clear for the first time

My body is numb - unfeeling

Torment induced disassociation shielding my fragile mind

My tortured heart no longer set alight by my twin flame

But incinerated by the resulting inferno

Each broken piece fueling the blaze

The once glowing embers now cold and black

More from Ani Leland ↓

• @neversent.poetry on Instagram
• Her book, Echoes and Embers, the first in a trilogy co-authored with T.C. James, will be published this fall

Mentioned in this episode:

One Poem Only submissions are open.

This round, I’m looking for poems about what remains. What stays with us after we experience change? What survives? What do we yearn to carry forward? Send me the poem you wrote and want the world to hear. Also, if you’d like to read your own poem on the podcast, you can. Submit a clear audio file recorded in a quiet space—no perfect studio recording required. And yes, your poem can have been previously published in a literary magazine, a book, or on social media. Submissions close Thursday, October 29. I’ll respond by Wednesday, November 11. Whether I read your poem or you read it yourself, I’d love to hear what you have to share.

One Poem Only Submissions Form