In this raw and quietly devastating poem, Kate gives voice to the grief of self-erasure—the kind that begins in childhood, when silence was survival and disappearing was seen as goodness. “Erasure” explores the heartbreaking calculus of being palatable: swallowing screams, softening pain, and offering absence as a gift mistaken for emotional strength.

This episode is for anyone who has ever been praised for not taking up space, for being quiet, compliant, or low-maintenance—when really, they were aching to be seen.

Copyright ©2025 Kate Earley

Music: Fracture by Stephan Moccio

Written: July 2, 2025