In the Hot Spring Locker Room by Haley DiRenzo | One Poem Only

In the Hot Spring Locker Room by Haley DiRenzo | One Poem Only

Author: Maggie Devers May 16, 2026 Duration: 1:23

One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.

In the Hot Spring Locker Room

Haley DiRenzo

I saw naked women scrubbing salted
skin as my mother ushered me
past. Eyes lingered on bodies raw
and round. Breasts dangling, bellies
drooping. Sketched scars and stretch
marks painted in different shades.
Clay earth, bruised sky, blue vein.
My own body was a girl’s then.
Still, I’d graduated from running
naked through my home to needing
to hide myself. I barely remembered
the bloom of my own mother’s
breast that fed me. She too
now dressed behind closed doors
unable to know or to teach
being seen without sex or shame
or desire. Even now in a locker room
I cover quickly, but long to be
these women. Limbs sloughed
pink after sinking heavy
into a hot spring. I can hear
their breathy sighs as water carves
rivers over curves. Their soft whispers
saying simply—yes.

More from Haley DiRenzo ↓


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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
Museum of Mourning by Maria Corcoran | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:16
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…
Human Nature by Lynn L. | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:59
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise. Human NatureLynn L.My fingertips feel the texture of a rose petal,Silken, yes, but silken with the…
Love Song by Dorothy Parker | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:34
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now. Love Song Dorothy Parker My own dear love, he is strong and boldAnd he cares not what comes after.His words ring sweet as a chime of gold,And his eye…
Lost Bond by Pinky Faith Okafor | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:20
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]

Duration: 1:03
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…
Butterflied, oh by Yonsiri Rojas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.Butterflied, ohYonsiri RojasIfish-eyed, butterflied collectionof furrowed bones composed of dustand glitter scattered throughout the meadowthe gray-hu…
Every Cell Misses You by Dolon Pramanik | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:50
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise. Every Cell Misses YouDolon PramanikEvery single cell in my body calls your name.It’s like they all…

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