Because that is all it is. by Maggie Devers

Because that is all it is. by Maggie Devers

Author: Maggie Devers June 5, 2025 Duration: 2:27

Because that is all it is.

Maggie Devers

I want to know your process
So I can make it with you
The way you sketch until your nails are packed with graphite
And your warm hands smell of wood shavings and masking tape
I could hold them to my nose and die happy

I want to know how you change
So I can be there with you
As you chop off your hair
Let your eyebrows grow wilder and abandon heels for Birks.
Even your feet are now free

Tell me what makes your heart grow
And mine will grow too
How you smell the top of a baby’s head watching the sun dip over the ocean.
There’s a margarita with salt in your hand
And the lime stings at your cuticle, but it’s a good hurt.

Show me the hidden parts of you
So I can see all of you
The way you shield yourself from criticism
Even your own. How you fight for everyone
But yourself. How you believe these parts are more hidden than they are.

Know I am here for the process.

More from Maggie Devers ↓


Mentioned in this episode:

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


Each day, One Poem Only offers a brief, deliberate pause. Hosted by Maggie Devers, this podcast is built on a simple, consistent premise: a single poem, read aloud, without analysis or introduction. It’s an audio space where the words themselves are the event, a performance meant to be absorbed in the few minutes it takes to hear it. The daily rhythm of the show creates a quiet ritual, a point of reflection woven into a busy life. You might hear a classic sonnet, a piece of modern free verse, or a work from a poet you’ve never encountered. The selection is varied, touching on themes from the natural world to the intricacies of human emotion, always leaving room for your own interpretation. The effect is cumulative; listening regularly becomes a subtle form of education in the sound and scope of poetry, and a small act of self-care. This isn't a lecture or a book club, but a performing art delivered directly to your ears. Maggie’s clear, thoughtful readings provide the only framework needed, allowing each poem to stand entirely on its own. The curtain falls, and the moment passes, but the podcast invites you to return tomorrow when a new piece takes center stage, offering another quiet moment, one poem only.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 355

One Poem Only
Podcast Episodes
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I Am Mother by Melissa Norton | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:38
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise.I Am Mother Melissa Norton I am Mother, stepping barefoot on the snake.Absorbing her power as her b…
Tangerines and Alcoholism by Labanya Dey | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:39
A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud.Tangerines and AlcoholismLabanya DeyMy mother peels tangerines Carefully scaling the orange fleshUntil her nails dig into the sour crevices O…
Harmony by Seán Tate | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:57
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.HarmonySeán TateHarmony, intermingled with melody, falls lightly from the heavensto coat the parched earth.Rough flakes made smooth by a rich flowing…