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: 1:40

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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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
This is How I Die by Kris Aziz | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:07
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.This is How I DieKris AzizThis is how I dieGlass reflecting moonlighton the pavementMetal and gasoline mixing withBlood in the airA paramedic holding…
First Draft by Jo Wright | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:56
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise. First DraftJo WrightI don’t want AI.I want bees and seasDeep evergreen forestsGreat honeycombsIcec…
In Warmth by Maggie Devers & Weekly Poetry Recap | One Poem More [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:17
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 poemsPlutocracy by Alicia SwainTony and/or Tonee by Nguyen Minh TriSnail by Lizz…
Epitaph On A Tyrant by W. H. Auden | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.Epitaph On A TyrantW. H. AudenPerfection, of a kind, was what he was after,And the poetry he invented was easy to understand;He knew human folly like…
Reduced by Rosalind Davies | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:29
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise.ReducedRosalind DaviesEasy winter option, ideal for layering over your favourite outfits,regular fi…
intuition by rism | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26
A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud.intuitionrismPattern recognition is acognitive discipline —congenitally decided for most,congested with emotion.Not to boast, butI’m a fuckin…
Tony and/or Tonee by Nguyen Minh Tri | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:39
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.Tony and/or ToneeNguyen Minh TriThe "y" is a hook, a barb in the ground,A heavy-set anchor, a masculine sound.It carries the dust of the fathers and s…
Plutocracy by Alicia Swain | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:05
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise. PlutocracyAlicia SwainIn kitchens drops will drip, each brown in hue,a mother will keep her son fr…
Cling to Me by Maggie Devers & Weekly Poetry Recap | One Poem More [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:13
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 poemsOperating Instructions for the Day After Your Best Friend Tells You He Supp…