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

Only SleepingJo GuzmanThe flavor of “Fuck you” smacked across my lips when I wokeNot so much in angerMore like calm clarityI touched my heart with my right handThe one that used to pledge allegiance to many thingsI believed the stories for so longThe ones about love and heroes and goodUntil I realized the truth often died with those mortally silenced because the empire said soMy hand and my heart set about their workCounter clockwise circlesUnravelling layers of grief and shame and angerNo wonder there was so much pressureAnd then I felt the flickerThat little flameThe one that never extinguished no matter whatNo matter what form of fear held me by the throat until I almost stopped caring about my own breathAlmostAlmostLittle did I know that the dragon was only sleepingDeep in my heartThe nearly obscene pressure a message from my bodyWake upThere is no hidingNo more, noneIt’s fire season, you knowAriesRising, rising, risingBurn it downFire purifiesMy heart on my hand stoppedAs I realized the gift…RestDo it nowFor the battle is comingAnd God needs her best soldiers ready

More from Jo Guzman ↓

• @mjvcoast on Instagram
• @acuppajoguzman on Substack
• Her books, Craving & 28, are out now

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Feed yourself poetry every day.

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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