Dystopian Dirges (United Healthcare) by Amelia Wicker | One Poem Only

Dystopian Dirges (United Healthcare) by Amelia Wicker | One Poem Only

Author: Maggie Devers April 17, 2026 Duration: 1:26

One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise.

Dystopian Dirges (United Healthcare)

Amelia Wicker

Rubbish or treasure
Who is to measure
The value of a life cast aside?
Nickeled and dimed
Without reason or rhyme
Delayed and denied a day’s breath
Who lives and who dies?
Who’s the lord of the flies?
This dystopian surmise too grim to speak
False gods of profit and power
Claiming souls by the hour
Growing strong from the plight of the weak
No penance for crimes
68,000 times
New dirges ring with each blink of an eye
Mercenary marionettes lie
Deaf to the bereft cries
Ascension ripe for the fall after pride
When a carpenter by trade
Fierce and tender will say
“I was thirsty, you gave me no drink”
“But sir, we never met”
How conveniently they forget
They met Jesus in the least of all these

More from Amelia Wicker ↓


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 sustains. Thank you for supporting the podcast.


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
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…
Shake It Up by Maggie Devers & Weekly Poetry Recap | One Poem More [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:30
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 poemsWhat's Wrong with My Heart by Gillian ShielsA Few Weeks Into the Dreams by…
In the Hot Spring Locker Room by Haley DiRenzo | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:23
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.In the Hot Spring Locker RoomHaley DiRenzoI saw naked women scrubbing saltedskin as my mother ushered mepast. Eyes lingered on bodies rawand round. Br…
Human-Nature by Katie-May Fincham | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise.Human-NatureKatie-May FinchamIn the stillness of the awakening forest,where twilight dances with th…
Disjointed Conversations by Jean Wathugu | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:56
A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud.Disjointed ConversationsJean WathuguBecause I saw that obligatory smileI am dismembering the foot in my mouthYour eyes like to wander in the…
Benedict Fruit by Yonsiri Rojas | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:56
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.Benedict FruitYonsiri Rojasthe goose hisses in its ivory crochet suit;saunteri…
A Few Weeks Into the Dreams by Jorge Lopez Llorente | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:46
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.A Few Weeks Into the DreamsJorge Lopez LlorenteBack then, a few bodies ago, you knew how to get your dreams delivered. You would sleep in the shape of…
What's Wrong with My Heart by Gillian Shiels | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise. What's Wrong with My HeartGillian ShielsMy heart is a little broken:Sometimes it does too much tic…
Tea Party by Maggie Devers & Weekly Poetry Recap | One Poem More [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:19
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 poemsAching by Brittany Searle KempaiahLa Mariposa de Fierro by Christiane Willi…