Melancholy Ink by Dita Indradi | One Poem Only

Melancholy Ink by Dita Indradi | One Poem Only

Author: Maggie Devers April 22, 2026 Duration: 1:53

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

Melancholy Ink

Dita Indradi

Sadness learned my name
before I learned how to answer.
It waits
behind my teeth
when I say I’m fine.
I used to shake
the moment I knew.
Hands too loud.
Breath missing.
My heart running
like it heard something
I couldn’t.
Heat rushing
through narrow places,
every nerve lit up
looking for an exit.
Now, when the same knowing comes,
my body does something else.
It goes quiet.
No shaking.
No warning.
Just the sudden absence
of feeling.
Like someone
stepped out of the room
and left the lights on.
I bleed without sound
and call it ink.
Silence presses its thumb
into my chest,
not to hurt me—
just checking
if I’m still here.
Some poems begin as tears
I don’t feel
until much later.
Others are the way
I leave the moment
without moving.
I write from places
that never healed right,
only learned
how to disappear.
Melancholy isn’t how I feel.
It’s how my hand moves
when I stay.
I mourn
what almost worked,
what hurt enough
to teach my body
how to leave.
I don’t write to be heard.
I write
so the sadness knows
someone stayed
when I couldn’t.

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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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