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
A Dream by Edgar Allan Poe | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:51
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.A DreamEdgar Allan PoeIn visions of the dark nightI have dreamed of joy departedBut a waking dream of life and lightHath left me broken-hearted.Ah! wh…
mortal perch by Amanda Thuy | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:32
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise.mortal perchAmanda Thuyupon a mortal perch i scribe away my lonely parts,pulled from deepest chasm…
An Emblem of Wounds by Henry Opeyemi | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:58
A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud.An Emblem of WoundsHenry OpeyemiWe are in the middle of a conversation, thereflection of our lives upon glossy waters.We’re twice the age we…
Cycles by S. Salazar | Wednesday Double Feature | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:31
Wednesdays on One Poem Only are a double feature: one poem here on the podcast, and one more by the same poet shared on Instagram.CyclesS. SalazarThe space in which my family occupies is a revolving door—each rotation mo…
Swan Dive by Maia von Maltzahn | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:54
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.Swan Dive by Maia von MaltzahnMaia von MaltzahnIt’s the kind of hotafternoon in Augustwhere the sun cracksyour mouth openso you can takea big gulp ofl…
The Call by Maggie Devers & Weekly Poetry Recap | One Poem More [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:53
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 poemsno place like home by Abhilasha GhoshThe mind unmasked by Aliyah Morayobord…
To My Daughter Elizabeth by Mary Ann H. T. Bigelow | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.To My Daughter ElizabethMary Ann H. T. BigelowTwo flowers upon one parent stemTogether bloomed for many days.At length a storm arose, and oneWas bligh…
adulthood by Carlee Wilson | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:55
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise.adulthoodCarlee Wilsongone are the days where my ceilingtwinkled with plastic magicand the only hou…
Inedible by Sera | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:52
A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud.InedibleSeraI wish I could covermy body in spikes,become unappetizing,indigestible.I poke holes into my image,pour lighter fluid over it,flic…