It's Not Too Late by Travis Hupp

It's Not Too Late by Travis Hupp

Author: Maggie Devers July 25, 2025 Duration: 3:29

It’s Not Too Late

Travis Hupp

Looks like I'll have to do things differently
No more hitting and missing intermittently
Gotta buckle down and not knuckle under
Reclaim my mind and unearth wonder
Howling dogs and circling bats
New dawn awaits and darkness won't last
Yesterday droned on destitute
My meaning got lost and
my muse went mute
but there's a part of me that still
knows what to do
Power through and write what's true
What's true is I've been stuck here
coming unglued
Eyes shut tight conjuring up a better view
than the sorry sight of the
aimless life I've led
letting liars and defilers get in my head
Enough of that and enough of losing
Enough blood bled and
enough ego bruising
I'll limp towards love til I'm fit to outrun
demons and downfalls
with shackles undone
I've got friends I know would hide me
from the consequences I've been inviting
but I can face into the fire
and find the poems burning down inspires
I always knew I wasn't born to wallow
without evolving cocooned in squalor
Without challenging the trauma traders
who corrupt you, crush you
and leave you cratered
So I say here and now I'm in this fight
I'll stop living wrong and
fumble towards right
I'll make my mother in Heaven feel proud
I'll show up on time to
show what I'm about
It's something I learned but
forgot to remember
when every turn I took
was another dead ender
When every trick I knew the devil knew too
When tawdry temptation was
a damn heady brew
I can't unwaste a single day
but I can pray it's not too late
I can't shoulder sad sick shame
so I'm setting out to redeem my name
I'm here and I'll recognize what's mine
Grab what I'm given tight
when stars align
I won't say fuck it I'll say faster
Speed is my steed for skirting disaster

More from Travis Hupp ↓


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

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