Still Light Unveils by Marissa M. Zhu

Still Light Unveils by Marissa M. Zhu

Author: Maggie Devers December 20, 2025 Duration: 3:14

Still Light Unveils

Marissa M. Zhu

Moonrise drapes her muslin throat
across the room. Everything hushes.
Desire folds itself into brocade:
my letter pressed beneath perfume bottles,
your name stitched inside a pillow's seam.

The sky forgets its vowels.
Fingers braid the air with rumor.
Windows withhold our reflections.

Your face is washed in cathedral glass.
We soak harsh truths in amber-dipped tongues.
Even our silences blush.


Daybreak has no patience
for embroidery.

Sunlight burns what night obscured.
It peels back the curtain,
unveiling half-corked truths.

So now—
tell me what you meant last night.
Not in riddles, not in wine.
Tell me why your hand trembled
toward mine, then away.

Why you said
nothing
when I leaned close enough
to hear your breath catch 
on my name.


Say it plain.

Say you wanted to stay.
Say you didn’t.
Say you meant to kiss me.
Say you still do.

Or say nothing. Again.

Watch how morning
holds even silence
to the window.

How shadows lean
toward noon,
how yesterday's wine stain
becomes today's
open door.  

More from Marissa M. Zhu ↓

  • @marissazhu on Instagram
  • @marissamzhu on Substack where she publishes The Wanting: A literary exploration of desire as generative force—neither absence to cure nor state to transcend. Love notes to the hunger that never resolves, only transforms.
  • Her debut poetry manuscript, Memories We’ve Never Made, blends cinematic lyricism with psychological precision. In this 30-piece collection, Marissa examines how even unrealized loves can leave indelible imprints.

Mentioned in this episode:

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

One Poem Only
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