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What's Wrong with My Heart by Gillian Shiels | One Poem Only
Episode 1111th May 2026 • One Poem Only • Maggie Devers
00:00:00 00:01:16

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One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise.

What's Wrong with My Heart

Gillian Shiels

My heart is a little broken:
Sometimes it does too much ticking
And not enough tocking.
It’s an electrical signal disruption,
They tell me.
I take my tablets every day
And they help.
Most of the time.
But I worry.
I can’t help it.
Over the years,
This poor heart of mine
Has been shattered so many times.
It has been battered,
Bruised,
Ached so badly
I was sure I would die.
It has expanded
And contracted.
Been scorched by flames
I mistook for lasting warmth.
Still, I will continue to take my tablets.
And whisper to my heart in the night,
As if it were a fragile bird,
Beat on,
sweet heart,
beat on.

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