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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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
A Merciless Winter by Farida Shamim [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:06
A Merciless Winter Farida Shamim How cruel you are, Winter —couldn’t you wait a little longer?Why didn’t you waituntil the children fell asleep,their dreams unbroken,their bellies not empty?My little ones lie down hungry…
Chasing the Light by Old Fart with a Guitar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:16
Chasing the Light Old Fart with a Guitar With all the bad news and all the bad vibes And the battle lines drawn between the tribes, I was lathered up, hosed down, spun around and hung out to dry. Still, life goes on at 6…
Sunday Recap & One More Step by Maggie Devers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:17
Here’s your recap of this week’s poems plus one new poem to carry us into the week ahead.Jan 12 - Happiness by Navya Chaudhary @chaoticconfessor on Instagram. Her book, Unfinished Letters, is out now.Jan 13 - I Promise b…
The Anatomy of Dawn by Saleha Najeeb [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:53
The Anatomy of DawnSaleha NajeebDo not mistake the smile for light.It is merely how we hide the mourningof what never had a funeral.Grief, it does not arrive or leave,it resides,like a second pulse beneath the one we cla…
Maman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:28
MamanMaggie DeversI see the most amazing spider webStretching between two treesAnd it is huge.When the light hits it just soIt glimmers as a precious gem,An intricate pattern that looks fragile,But isn’t.And I realizeTha…
The Season of Returning by Lara [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:02
The Season of Returning Lara I fell into winter,a quiet collapse of light.Bare branches above me,and silence heavy as snow.The frost took my laughter,the wind took my name,and I drifted through the cold,like breath caugh…
Rooted by Shaq Mendes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:34
Rooted Shaq Mendes Women are Queens, Men are Kings well -Along w/ the throne, you needah';_ Have that Crown _Take a journey down a path where,the end'll have you feeling like Gold;Gold - ha_ha I know being rich is the go…
Aloof by Luwa [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20
AloofLuwaAloof poof, jump off the roof as proofThey use the news to deduce and reduce the abuseThrown and blown our way while we moan and groanUnable to table the insatiable desire for the fableThat makes us weaker, blea…
I Promise by Riley Hope McPheters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:44
I Promise Riley Hope McPheters When you are sad-It feels that is who you are.You are not the sad of a hard day,Nor the sad of a loved one gone too soon,You are a sad that is in your blood,Cold and slow.A depression deepe…
Happiness by Navya Chaudhary [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:05
Happiness Navya Chaudhary If you are out there chasing happiness,Then I want you to remember this.If you're chasing it,It's definitely not yours.Happiness is not somewhere out there,It's hidden in those small moments aro…