Bones by Toni Young after Ella B. Winters | One Poem After

Bones by Toni Young after Ella B. Winters | One Poem After

Author: Maggie Devers June 2, 2026 Duration: 2:18

One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.

Bones

Toni Young

after Ella B. Winters

it doesn’t take much to see

through skin, through blood, through bones

i’ve etched poems in each rib

this cage can only hold so many stories

see how this poem is stuck in the marrow

see how this poem is caught in the hollow

do i have to break these bones

for you

to read me

More from Toni Young ↓


And now for the poem this was written after.

Ugly Bones by Ella B. Winters

Ella B. Winters

Behind the dusty radiator,

green splashed like blood

spray in a B-film, from that time

when you decided

to paint our bedroom

in the middle of the night,

I keep my poems

hidden in a puce manila file

so unremarkable, it chameleons

into the background, pink tongue

unfurling to swallow my words

into the shadowy crevice.

Mostly, I don’t want you

to see them, as though,

in the starkness of the early

hours, when our walls

demand another change,

they might reveal my ugly

bones through the translucent

skin. But sometimes, I forget

they’re there, as well. Imagine

leaving them behind when we

move on. Who will I be when

unsuspecting tenants pull me

out word after word like a magician’s

string of endless gauzy scarves?

How will they piece my naked bones

together? What colour will they

paint the room?

More from Ella B. Winters ↓


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Each day, One Poem Only offers a brief, deliberate pause. Hosted by Maggie Devers, this podcast is built on a simple, consistent premise: a single poem, read aloud, without analysis or introduction. It’s an audio space where the words themselves are the event, a performance meant to be absorbed in the few minutes it takes to hear it. The daily rhythm of the show creates a quiet ritual, a point of reflection woven into a busy life. You might hear a classic sonnet, a piece of modern free verse, or a work from a poet you’ve never encountered. The selection is varied, touching on themes from the natural world to the intricacies of human emotion, always leaving room for your own interpretation. The effect is cumulative; listening regularly becomes a subtle form of education in the sound and scope of poetry, and a small act of self-care. This isn't a lecture or a book club, but a performing art delivered directly to your ears. Maggie’s clear, thoughtful readings provide the only framework needed, allowing each poem to stand entirely on its own. The curtain falls, and the moment passes, but the podcast invites you to return tomorrow when a new piece takes center stage, offering another quiet moment, one poem only.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

One Poem Only
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