First Draft by Jo Wright | One Poem Only

First Draft by Jo Wright | One Poem Only

Author: Maggie Devers March 30, 2026 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 Draft

Jo Wright

I don’t want AI.
I want bees and seas
Deep evergreen forests
Great honeycombs
Icecaps.
Just, knowledgeable lovers
Men needing others
People questioning rhetoric
Speaking truth
Understanding Vaccinations
A world where we exclude no one
Years where there is still ozone.
I want words to matter
And when I draft my patter
I don’t want my phone to ask
‘Can I rewrite that for you?’
I want credit where credit’s bloody due
And throwing that swear word in
Stops Google taking the line from you.
I want water poured into humanity
Until everyone’s cup is full
Until this thief clad in microchips
Burns itself out.
I want precisely zero of your excuses
Wailing viciously under this sky
Retreat quietly please
Out to no man’s land
Keeping jealous ignorance of
How generosity feeds
Everyone’s delicate creativity
Better without AI.
I don’t want it.
I want to reclaim the land.

More from Jo Wright ↓

  1. @joslipstick on Instagram

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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 slows us down. Thank you for listening.

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
Silence the Foe by Gloriaea [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Silence the Foe Gloriaea Horror Horror Blood poured from my eyes Every word you penned Dug through my irisesBut why foil the ink Stuff it back in the pen Hold one end to their jugular Until they eat their stained paper W…
Sunday Recap & Circe by Maggie Devers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Here’s your recap of this week’s poems plus one new poem to carry us into the week ahead.Aug 4 - Until We Are Soft Again by Shauna Richmond @shauna_lee_art_poetry on Instagram. Her book, It’s Time to Love Yourself First,…
Voice by Yvette Francis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:03
Voice Yvette Francis Voice to speakWhy don’t they listen?Voice to teachDo they really learn?Voice to whisper… to sootheWill they take comfort?Voice to declare… truthWill they run away?Voice of courageVoice of beautyVoice…
I've had too much to drink today by Precious [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:24
I've had too much to drink today The haze of smoke blurs the edges of my deepest musingand leads my mind to wonderLike a restless travelerThese songs I ruminate on arethe blood curling around my ribsechoing stories I don…
Episode 99 - Speak by Maggie Devers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:26
Speak Maggie Devers She speaks in poetryLike she doesn’t know another way.Seriously, there is a soundtrack to her life.It’s not even main character energy,It’s ‘I embody me’ energy.How brave to live for yourselfAnd all y…
Ancient Remedies by Raquel Medora [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:52
ancient remedies Raquel Medora can you tell me?how the roots and the leaves listen while i place my hand on their trunks and ask them to whisper their wisdom as if the bark could bark orders at me about how to save a mar…
"meet me under the celestial croissant” by Irina Vérène [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:52
meet me under the celestial croissantwith its ridged crispy doughand cream-colored insidesdreamy cratersperfect for scooping up spacelike blueberry jamedible stardustspeckled throughoutfind mewhere silver cutlery lightin…
Until We Are Soft Again by Shauna Richmond [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:59
Until We Are Soft Again Shauna Richmond I know a place where living takes flight where we can plant willow and watch them grow gracefully cascade to the ground and together we can bring life to the parts forever shaded a…
Sunday Recap & Ask the Bear by Maggie Devers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:40
Here’s your recap of this week’s poems plus one new poem to carry us into the week ahead.Jul 28 - Unholy Hunger by katherine kier. @katherinekier on Instagram and Substack. You can listen to her soundscapes at katherinek…
You’re so hot by Jacqueline McCoy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:51
you're so hot your heart will never break againonce you realize the absence you grieve is a presence within asking to receivethe magic you perceive is but you staring into yourselfI wish I could see you from as many pers…