Light by Shannon West

Light by Shannon West

Author: Maggie Devers February 2, 2026 Duration: 2:29

Light

Shannon West

I’m afraid of the dark and so is he
We hold each other close and drift off into dreams
The closet light is on - just how we like it
Light spills from beneath the door bathing the room in its warmth
The basement, being alone, silence, death - belong to the dark
The kitchen table, love, togetherness, life - belong to the light
Kindred spirits safe in our nest
We don’t need to fear the shadows
We can see them as well as they can see us
The irony is not lost on me that when we are most at peace, we close our eyes
Embracing the darkness
I am empathetic
Because I still fear the dark
Maybe moms aren’t supposed to admit that
I don’t think it’s a weakness
It just is
But what a privilege it is
To be his light now

More from Shannon West ↓

  1. @shannonswriting on Instagram

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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Duration: 4:04
"If a tree falls" Amelia Dunn If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to notice does it make a sound?Does its impact even hit the ground? Will the wind still whistle Or will silence echo in the burrows of what…
Another Day in May by Anthony Robinson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:29
Another Day in MayAnthony Robinson Now more coffee and Brian Wilson And skittering creatures. I've eatenTacos for three days straight and DadIs still on oxygen. To feel intense griefNot right now is also to feel guiltyCo…
"Gone are the days" by Rusha Chatterjee [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:55
"Gone are the days" Rusha Chatterjee Gone are the dayswhen my house felt like home,now the rooms filled with thousandmemories feels like a cage,suffocating and cold,laughs from my childhood echoes throughout the space ma…
"Nobody is coming to save you" by Georgia Groza [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:44
"Nobody is coming to save you" Georgia Groza Nobody is coming to save you Stitch it back up, learn to live with it. The world doesn’t begin and end at the kitchen tablemore than likely everything is preceded by a bed.It…
Remember by Olivia Woods [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:11
Remember Olivia Woods Your apples were as savory as sunlight I can’t remember the last time they seemed so sweetThe last time they were as red as rosesThe last time they smelt so greatI fear there is nothing left here an…
Sunday Recap & Kick It by Maggie Devers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:24
Here’s your recap of this week’s poems plus one new poem to carry us into the week ahead.Sep 29 - Lebensabschnittspartner by Sarthak Mukherji @sarthaksays on Instagram and TikTok.Sep 30 - Taemong by Kimberly McAfee @writ…
Bloodfruit by Abby Zhang [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:28
Bloodfruit Abby Zhang Say it, like you used to peel blood oranges with your teeth, Ma.The flesh splits soft and shivering under the pressure,its rind stuck under your fingernails. Juice spilling—licking your lips with th…
Silver Filigree by Travers Charron [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:01
Silver Filigree Travers Charron Before the day unbuttons its sky,while morning’s breath still clings to the grass, I find it—a single web,threaded between two branches, a silver filigreetrembling in dew.Each strand,so th…
i am not a poet by Kole Kealey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:03
i am not a poet Kole Kealey i touched rock bottom before i ever touched apen, so do not call me a poetcall me your mother tongue,burning the back of your throat making yourblood boil, a taste you can’t quite name butrhym…
Grapes by Frankie Reed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:21
Grapes Frankie Reed we hung together —tight, green,not yet sweet.small things,skin against skin,no space for air.you leanedinto every breeze.I held still.neither of us saidwhat we knewabout weight.we ripened unevenly.you…