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Small Hours · EssaysOne essay a month, about reading and writing poems
Essay of the month · Reading
On reading a poem twice
The first reading is for the story. The second is for everything else: the sound, the gaps, the word you skipped. A case for slowing down, with three short poems to try it on.
Ines Marlow · 2 November 2026 · 12 min read
Read the essay“The second time, you're not reading for what happens. You're reading for how it sounds when nobody is watching.”
From the essay
Four more essays
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Short lines, long breath
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3 Aug 2026 · 10 min read
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The poems we didn't print
Some of the best poems we were sent weren't ready yet. Here's what we told their writers.
6 Jul 2026 · 8 min read
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