Keeping It This Way by Swan Melloh

Keeping It This Way by Swan Melloh

Author: Maggie Devers October 21, 2025 Duration: 2:21

Keeping It This Way

Swan Melloh

I am not your property
I rather tell myself than you
who wears oblivion for shoes,
walks without a knowing heart.

I suppose it´s easier
to leave you there without a clue,
words unspoken in their truth,
better gone, and far apart.

Don´t you ever stop to wonder
who´s the mistress of this distance?
Call me goddess of this state,
yet, would you ever know?

We should be the ending,
not like my ancient persistence,
not of love, not out of hate,
not fading to ever grow.

This much I can answer you:
Intimacy won´t reappear.
Has it ever been of presence
while you broke my core?

Eyes will slip some knowledge,
fingertips soft, now free of fear,
claiming just my roaring essence
while denial rules no more.

More from Swan Melloh ↓


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Write After: National Poetry Month with One Poem Only

Write After is a way to encourage poets to listen and write, and use National Poetry Month to highlight how listening to poetry makes us better poets. I know I write the best when I’m surrounded by beautiful poetry–it’s part of the reason I created this podcast, and I want to encourage others to share this practice. We'll get started in April. You can share to #WriteAfterOPO.

#WriteAfterOPO


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: 355

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