I've had too much to drink today by Precious

I've had too much to drink today by Precious

Author: Maggie Devers August 8, 2025 Duration: 2:24
I've had too much to drink today
The haze of smoke blurs the edges of my deepest musing
and leads my mind to wonder
Like a restless traveler

These songs I ruminate on are
the blood curling around my ribs
echoing stories I don’t want to hear
of a beautiful ingenue I once knew
One I feel, I am losing

In the dead of morning I sleep in silence
But I can still feel the hum of the stars
repositioning themselves in my sky

How was I an ingenue at seventeen
Eyes wide open to endless possibilities
and then-hollowed out.
Just smoke and shadows at 23?

Will they still want me??
When the afterglow fades from my skin
when the bruises of time
begin to show their colors in scars

Will I still want me when i’m ancient and listless???
my youth slipping through my fingers
like blood once did
from my veins so many moons ago

fingers that once held the future of the world
coming to rest one last time.

- Precious

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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
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