Fringford Brook by Violet Jacob

Fringford Brook by Violet Jacob

Author: Maggie Devers July 8, 2025 Duration: 3:04

Fringford Brook

Violet Jacob 1863 – 1946

The willows stand by Fringford brook,
From Fringford up to Hethe,
Sun on their cloudy silver heads,
And shadow underneath.

They ripple to the silent airs
That stir the lazy day,
Now whitened by their passing hands,
Now turned again to grey.

The slim marsh-thistle's purple plume
Droops tasselled on the stem,
The golden hawkweeds pierce like flame
The grass that harbours them;

Long drowning tresses of the weeds
Trail where the stream is slow,
The vapoured mauves of water-mint
Melt in the pools below;

Serenely soft September sheds
On earth her slumberous look,
The heartbreak of an anguished world
Throbs not by Fringford brook.

All peace is here. Beyond our range,
Yet 'neath the selfsame sky,
The boys that knew these fields of home
By Flemish willows lie.

They waded in the sun-shot flow,
They loitered in the shade,
Who trod the heavy road of death,
Jesting and unafraid.

Peace! What of peace? This glimpse of peace
Lies at the heart of pain,
For respite, ere the spirit's load
We stoop to lift again.

O load of grief, of faith, of wrath,
Of patient, quenchless will,
Till God shall ease us of your weight
We'll bear you higher still!

O ghosts that walk by Fringford brook,
'Tis more than peace you give,
For you, who knew so well to die,
Shall teach us how to live.

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
Coffin monologue: The non-rhyming rant poem by Manasvita Sukthankar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:48
Coffin monologue: The non-rhyming rant poem Manasvita Sukthankar I love myself,but which one?Can I love the person that most hate?Does she deserve the ache in her chest?It feels like being trapped in a coffin alive, like…
The Spider by Philippe Blenkiron [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:21
The Spider Philippe Blenkiron "Is God a Spider?" I asked,"constantly weavingelectron threads into spiraling elemental webs?His iron will, spun with a silk of liquid steel,torn by the slightest of whims? His tenacious tap…
Green Soup by Tabitha Dial [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:05
Green Soup Tabitha Dial (Halloween Night 2020)From a quiet keeping-space,I promise my motherghostto create meals and music.Even if from dry bones and tangled memories, my vow as I unstem kale and spinach,add it to the co…
What Are We by Laker Patience [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:09
What Are We Laker Patience What are we? is there even a we, or is it possibly just a you and a me, a concoction of delusion, desire, mismatched expectations with no actual communication.What are we? what is this? Because…
i don't remember being small by Momena Khan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:13
i don't remember being small Momena Khan i was sitting beside her, my not-sister. we were eating oranges and she was laughing with her whole mouth open like joy had never betrayed her. i held my fruit too carefully, too…
Garden of Eden by Yonsiri Rojas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:00
Garden of Eden Yonsiri Rojas lulling sunbeam through the boughssoothing ballad of a plum-haired dollhazy notes of pure joyher naked feet wet in fresh springicy water against bare sweet skina dim lonely shadow dancing to…
Bills for Bills of Bills for Bills by Charlotte Stuart [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:18
Bills for Bills of Bills for Bills Charlotte Stuart They hand me bills for bills of bills for bills,Stacked like bricks in window sills. Pay what you owe, then pay what comes.A tangled song the system hums:A doctor’s bil…
Seventh Wonder by Joba the Poète [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:45
Seventh Wonder Joba the Poète Seven wonders of the worldyet I trip like the leaning tower of Pisawhen you sing out my namewith a nine minus two, or rather still,six plus one,the seventh scale of the seventh chordyou love…
"If love were a predator," by McKenzie Hager [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:31
If love were a predator,I’d let it hunt me down.While it prowled,I’d shuffle the leavesjust enough to be heard.I’d welcome the weightof its body against mine.And when it struck,I’d go down smiling—Let it take me.Let it t…