Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share The 'S' Word by Mark Antony Owen
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
The 'S' Word by Mark Antony Owen
Editorial Note by Max Wallis
There are poems that circle a subject, and poems that walk straight into it. The ‘S’ word is a record of that moment, when someone says it out loud. Suicide. Not metaphor, not euphemism. And the shift it causes in the room, in the relationship, in the world. Mark Antony Owen captures the jolt of intimacy redefined: “I felt you as if new.” This poem doesn’t explain. It doesn’t resolve. It lets the weight of what was said linger in the air between two people. Some truths can’t be undone. Only held.
We publish this not to shock, but to witness.
The ‘S’ word
You used it yesterday,
touched its charge to my skin.
Shook me from my certainties.
I felt you as if new.
Not falling, not drowning –
by poisoning, you said.
Everything in the house
that day, all in one go.
What passed between us then
outpaced understanding.
The severity made plain.
Your innermost made out.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aftershockpoetry.substack.com/subscribe
If you’re in crisis
You are not alone. Support is available.
Samaritans – Whatever you're going through, you can talk to someone 24/7. Call 116 123 for free, email [email protected], or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
James’s Place – Free, life-saving treatment for men in suicidal crisis. Available in London, Liverpool, Newcastle, and more. Self-referral or referral by a professional. Visit jamesplace.org.uk to find help near you.
Mark Antony Owen
is the author of digital-first poetry project Subruria. He’s also the creator and curator of online poetry journals iamb and After…
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aftershockpoetry.substack.com/subscribe
View all episodes
By Max Wallis' Daily Aftershock Writing Prompts (The Aftershock Review)Editorial Note by Max Wallis
There are poems that circle a subject, and poems that walk straight into it. The ‘S’ word is a record of that moment, when someone says it out loud. Suicide. Not metaphor, not euphemism. And the shift it causes in the room, in the relationship, in the world. Mark Antony Owen captures the jolt of intimacy redefined: “I felt you as if new.” This poem doesn’t explain. It doesn’t resolve. It lets the weight of what was said linger in the air between two people. Some truths can’t be undone. Only held.
We publish this not to shock, but to witness.
The ‘S’ word
You used it yesterday,
touched its charge to my skin.
Shook me from my certainties.
I felt you as if new.
Not falling, not drowning –
by poisoning, you said.
Everything in the house
that day, all in one go.
What passed between us then
outpaced understanding.
The severity made plain.
Your innermost made out.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aftershockpoetry.substack.com/subscribe
If you’re in crisis
You are not alone. Support is available.
Samaritans – Whatever you're going through, you can talk to someone 24/7. Call 116 123 for free, email [email protected], or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
James’s Place – Free, life-saving treatment for men in suicidal crisis. Available in London, Liverpool, Newcastle, and more. Self-referral or referral by a professional. Visit jamesplace.org.uk to find help near you.
Mark Antony Owen
is the author of digital-first poetry project Subruria. He’s also the creator and curator of online poetry journals iamb and After…
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aftershockpoetry.substack.com/subscribe