Show & Tell by Shahé Mankerian | One Poem Only

Show & Tell by Shahé Mankerian | One Poem Only

Author: Maggie Devers May 9, 2026 Duration: 1:33

One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.

Show & Tell

Shahé Mankerian

This poem was first published in Contemporary Verse 2, Summer 2024 (Vol. 47, No. 1)
To Lucille Clifton
José lifted a rabbit from a corroded cage
and said, “This is Jesús. We found him
sleeping among the dead daffodils.”
Elizabeth asked us to cover our ears
“Because Beethoven was deaf,” she said
as “Ode to Joy” squeaked on her violin.
I clapped the loudest because on the first
day of school Liz braided my shoelaces
with hers. Mrs. Honzay poked my forearm
with a pen, “Settle down,” she whispered.
Sweaty Mika wore his father’s space suit.
Selma uttered from her wobbly desk,
“He even smells like an alien.” When I stood
in front of the blackboard, nauseous,
with nothing fancy to share, I raised
my trembling hands shoulder high.
“I was born with twelve fingers,” I said,
“and I have the scars to prove it.”

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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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One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.Unlearning PerfectionMya NoelaniI took up the task of unlearning perfectionBecause what is perfect anyway?Besides of bunch of standards we try to main…
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One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise. You Are PoetryEmma-Jane BarlowI hope you know that you are poetry.Everything you do is artand you…
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One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise.Lot: Vacant, NotDanielle Eleanor LavalleLet me pick you a bouquet,cracked-asphalt-flowers — who do…
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A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud.Then maybe it would mean somethingE E NisbetThen maybe it would mean something:If your sorry could un-scream,vacuum spit-sprayed particles,su…
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One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise.Melancholy InkDita IndradiSadness learned my namebefore I learned how to answer.It waitsbehind my t…
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One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.UntamedToni YoungMy hair is a cascadeof the most unruly waves.I’ve flattened her with a straightener,but she identifies as unbridled.I’ve loaded her w…
What We Don’t Put Away by Nicole Shepherd | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:29
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise. What We Don’t Put AwayNicole ShepherdIt’s mid-April,and the Christmas tree is still up.I’ve stoppe…
Amalgamation by Sophia James | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:40
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.AmalgamationSophia JamesI walk to the top of the hill,The Sheffield hillThat made my accent broadMy legs - wide and sturdy,And my body - strong.The sa…