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

More from Carly Thompson ↓


Support + Stay Connected to OPO

If you’d like to support the show, Substack and Patreon members receive a copy of my book, For My Daughter, along with episodes from the audiobook.

Poetry shows us what we need. Thank you for being part of the experience.

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
Chai and Chrysanthemum by Mahnoor Rehan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:15
Chai and Chrysanthemum Mahnoor Rehan My heart leansTowards abominationYou— Earliest ray of sunshineWalking sack of calculated caloriesAbyss, philanthropyI follow the squirrels as they hop from one willow toanotherWhen I…
The Grief that Grips Our World by Raquel Dionísio Abrantes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:46
The Grief that Grips Our WorldRaquel Dionísio AbrantesSilver waters whisperamidst slender brancheswhere sisters bathe. My twinof bone and moss whose woeI fold like my grandmother foldedher husband’s pants —carefully, and…
Cheap Therapy Cheat Sheet by Tanja Lau [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:31
Cheap Therapy Cheat SheetTanja LauThis poem was originally published by Part-Time Poets. Issue 29.No excuses. Pick your next move:Some people scream into pillows, others nametheir grief Steve and set a place for him at d…
Born of Ashes by Goldilocks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:22
Born of Ashes Goldilocks We were born of ashes and blood, In a shattered past stained with death. Each word hurt like a knife stabbing, Each day felt closer to the end. The pain did not stop for a second, It grew bigger…
Sunday Recap & Burn the Flag by Maggie Devers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:07
Here’s your recap of this week’s poems plus one new poem to carry us into the week ahead. Jan 19 - Chasing the Light by Old Fart with a Guitar @old_fart_with_a_guitar on Instagram. Stream his music: OFWAG LinkTree. Jan 2…
Same Old Story by Amelia Cabantog [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:39
Same Old Story Amelia Cabantog Everyday the news replays the same old stories. So, and so, died So, and, so was deportedSo, and, so's rights are being taken away.Meanwhile a mother is crying because her baby is slowly dy…
“Hope isn't a shy thing” by Eileen Strawberry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:08
“Hope isn't a shy thing” Eileen Strawberry Hope isn't a shy thingShe has white knucklesand spits gritWhen oppressors beat down on her shouldersShe draws her sword swiftlyNo hesitationNo deliberationShe will slay dragonsf…
Shimmer by Jessie Marie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:45
ShimmerJessie Mariemy shimmering heart draped in tearsdrums a song behind a thorny cageghosts dressed in moonlightwail against the inky black of nightsorrow is stitched into their eyesan echo of dreams heard on the windI…
Don't call it hope or you'll scare it away by Candace Kronen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:11
Don't call it hope or you'll scare it away Candace Kronen Call it window or thread or undone button, call it plump lipsand the slip of a sound, open palm with a single split seedwhispers of paw prints in a blanket of sno…