Operating Instructions for the Day After Your Best Friend Tells You He Supports Genocide by Jané Dowd | One Poem Only

Operating Instructions for the Day After Your Best Friend Tells You He Supports Genocide by Jané Dowd | One Poem Only

Author: Maggie Devers March 16, 2026 Duration: 2:01

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

Operating Instructions for the Day After Your Best Friend Tells You He Supports Genocide

Jané Dowd

Upon waking: breathe deep.
Savour the shimmer of momentary freedom,
lack of memory and regret.
Surround yourself with three dogs:
sentinels; triumvirate.
Check the curtain crack for signs of dawn.
When the child stirs, relish her aliveness.
As the small ghosts arise in protest,
cup their faces in your bloody hands,
whisper the useless lament:
I am sorry. -And again:
I am sorrow.
When the cat crawls under your crook’d claw:
picture the desert landscape
devoid of trees, of innocence, of hope, of caress.
As you pour the milk, squeeze the honey:
hold your heart on an open palm
leave it be; watch how it stutters
shivers and stalls
look at its redness which is simple
fragile human
the same;
fill it with your grit, ask that sinewy engine
to oyster, to pearl
to return to the cave of your chest
alive, yes, but beating
differently, more soundly and
more true

More from Jané Dowd ↓

  1. @jane_doe.8.0 on Instagram
  2. @janedoe9 on Substack

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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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