CAUTION: STUDENT DRIVER by Carly Thompson | One Poem Only

CAUTION: STUDENT DRIVER by Carly Thompson | One Poem Only

Author: Maggie Devers April 8, 2026 Duration: 1:21

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

CAUTION: STUDENT DRIVER

Carly Thompson

I’ve jumped out of the boat
the churning water turns to smoke
my mind is a black sand beach
the world is one of those where time is different
slow, fast, all at once, almost never
if a window doesn’t open, is it a wall?
is it even there?
the cows die all at once and we don’t ask why
we buy sheep instead, not for milk for wool
it is not enough to be called sad and beautiful
remarkable or terrifying
it is not enough to pick up the phone
to text back, to cry on cue
I hover over that plane where one highway
meets another, no one ever taught me to merge

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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: 100

One Poem Only
Podcast Episodes
Lilies by Madilyn Lopez  | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:10
A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud.LiliesMadilyn Lopezblood gushes from underneath my index fingersunderneath my thumbsmy eyes go white and pin-point blackbloodshot— my artery.…
Unnamed Season by Jules Travers | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:06
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.Unnamed SeasonJules TraversHe lives in a peaceful territoryof his own,relatively well-defined.In conversation with his selves,he navigates daily weath…
Life Is the Backside of Embroidery by Aasfa Siddiqui | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:46
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise. Life Is the Backside Of Embroidery by Aasfa SiddiquiAasfa SiddiquiI’ve been thinking about it late…
A Baptism by Maggie Devers & Weekly Poetry Recap | One Poem More [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:45
One Poem More gathers all of this week’s poems from One Poem Only—an unhurried chance to listen again, or catch what you missed.This week’s poems“Words don’t even flow to me anymore” by Lisa Le GuiaderThe Return of Titan…
Women of Stardust and Soil by Steph Patterson | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.Women of Stardust and SoilSteph PattersonWe start as stardustand then soil, we become,Underneath our feetthe bones sing of so manywomen before us,Thei…
Ice Box Woes by JACK"E" | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:55
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise.Ice Box WoesJACK”E”This freezing and thawingdosey doethe outdoors has frosted overice falls often,p…
Prince of Marble by Auri Tunglsdottir | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:55
A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud.Prince of MarbleAuri TunglsdottirI’ve put you on a pedestalFor some reason.One day it was there,And I put you up,It looked right.I’ve made yo…
Sunday Ritual by Evyan Roberts | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:45
Wednesdays on One Poem Only are Handpicked, a new feature where I go deeper into the poem of the day and discuss what made it stand out to me.Sunday RitualEvyan RobertsResiding in her pink robe, the one with the acrylic…
The Return of Titans by Kate M. Sine | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:57
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.The Return of TitansKate M. SineThe last leaf of autumn falls,striking the door like a match,lighting our world with the magic from a distant universe…