Home by Narayani Goenka

Home by Narayani Goenka

Author: Maggie Devers August 23, 2025 Duration: 2:40

Home

Narayani Goenka

I scratch the walls
till my nails break.. till the sound of the scratch sends an
unrelenting wave of anxiety through my body
till there is a forced call in me to stop.
I submerge my head in my bath tub full of water and count to 20,
then 50,
then as long as my limbs shake as if I'm caught in exorcism.
I gasp, not sure if another moment in it would mean if I have won
or lost.
Listen to me, I yell. My mind is trapped in a fog.
Maybe that is why when you look into my eyes, you can't see the
mess.
Even when I'm screaming loud enough to paralyse myself, you
don't hear me.
You think you know me but you don't.
We're right next to each other, still in different places.
How do I invite you in my mind?
A horrid place with spider webs,
ghosts hanging from walls, I'm running for help.
How do I tell you that this is my home?
That this is where I live?
That this is how I live?

More from Narayani Goenka ↓


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
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One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise. This Town Macy Williams This town knows many ways of moving. Some rush. Some pause. Some stop and…
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A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud. Still, something Aditya Gupta I stopped praying long ago. The gods grew tired of my voice, or maybe I just grew tired of asking for things t…
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One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.Museum of Mourning Maria Corcoran This poem was first published in the Raven Review.Ocean of silent, aching desiresDrowned before even taking formGuil…
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Love Song by Dorothy Parker | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Lost Bond by Pinky Faith Okafor | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:13
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise. Lost Bond Pinky Faith Okafor There are stories the world claims to tell, Yet, we do not hear. Stor…
Patience by Ayesha Mohal | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud.PatienceAyesha MohalYes, you need patience,The patience of a steadfast tree,In autumn, it lets its leaves go free.Believing, not hoping alone…