Rash by Viviana Abnur | One Poem Only

Rash by Viviana Abnur | One Poem Only

Author: Maggie Devers May 29, 2026 Duration: 1:55

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

Rash

Viviana Abnur

Everything I know about death
I learned the hard way
when I saw you go by on the stretcher
to intensive therapy
I was an atheist like you and I only saw
a slight and strange body
pass at the speed of light
is it that perhaps we live confused
or we are just light and nothing else
because I suddenly knew in an instant
that you were not
in that body
they took you to the Emergency room
like a war trophy
there was a rush for the doctors to arrive
there was a rush to death
for fleeing the territory
minutes before
you asked for a book
minutes before I hugged you and you told me
you are so good
then the power outage in the hospital
the door half open
and I was spying on you and could see
how they surrounded you with candles
still alive
like in a Poe story
someone hugged me and I cried
we lost said the doctor
and I knew death
is in a rush dad
and in the rush it's sloppy
because something was taken forever
I knew it
but something not
in that defeated body
you were not in.

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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
Podcast Episodes
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