Shownotes
A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud.
Nine Novembers Later
Erin Zarro
TW: Violence
Nine Novembers later
You plucked flowers from my mouth and
weaved them into a crown
You sang me into submission and
we made beautiful music together
but in the morning, you didn't remember my name.
When I wanted to leave you, you gave me sunlight,
promised me forever,
slid a dagger through my spine.
When you sucked the light from my bones,
I cried, and you sewed my tears to my face
in silence that burns
In darkness, you fed me wildflowers and pain.
I will gather my bones and I will rise
I will shine heavenly light through my empty eye sockets
You will never touch my bones again.
Originally written in Esperanto.
More from Erin Zarro ↓
Support + Stay Connected to OPO
If you’d like to support the show, Substack and Patreon members receive a copy of my book, For My Daughter, along with episodes from the audiobook.
Poetry reminds us what matters. Thank you for listening.
Mentioned in this episode:
One Poem Only submissions are open.
This round, I’m looking for poems about what remains. What stays with us when 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, in print, 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
