Lot: Vacant, Not by Danielle Eleanor Lavalle | One Poem Only

Lot: Vacant, Not by Danielle Eleanor Lavalle | One Poem Only

Author: Maggie Devers April 24, 2026 Duration: 1:41

One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise.

Lot: Vacant, Not

Danielle Eleanor Lavalle

Let me pick you a bouquet,
cracked-asphalt-flowers — who do not know that they are garbage:
Blue violet Chicory, straight, straight, straight,
reaching for a Mediterranean sun that isn’t here
Daisies at last,
in neat clumps — safe from the weedwhacker
Hawkweed splaying wildly — used to being called ‘skinny dandelion’
Mischievous Asters (too early)
awaiting autumn to explode between the fences and towers of Goldenrod
petals like fraying thread:
deep purple,
stained barely pink,
yellow,
white
Wild Bergamot, unexpected,
daring you to call it ‘sparse thistle’,
almost fuchsia frilled tendrils embracing the
bouncing in
and bouncing out
of eager bees
A single raspberry coloured Poppy, that planted itself
on the margins of cement border and sidewalk
No flower
— that grows in a used-up-poisoned-discarded space —
is garbage

More from Danielle Eleanor Lavalle ↓


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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
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