Poetic preposition (3)

I think it could be either:

ere

oer

'poetic preposition' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)

This is the entire clue.

(Other definitions for ere that I've seen before include "Before (in poetry)" , "One who steals" , "Before (lit.)" , "Archaic word for before - a palindrome" , "Before (poetic)" .)

I've seen this clue in the LA Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the Newsday.

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