Storm Chaser by Melanie Hess

Storm Chaser by Melanie Hess

Author: Maggie Devers May 21, 2025 Duration: 1:33

Storm Chaser

Melanie Hess

last week the riverbed cracked,
its veins like autumn leaves,
plows and combines idle in fields
dinosaurs on the verge of extinction

my joints simmer
with arms and legs splayed star-shaped
in an old plantation rocker
I imagine the wettest place on earth
and watch a scout ant migrate up the kitchen tap
in search of water for the queen

the sky shifts mood
releasing a peaty potpourri
the squall appears windward.

I grab the monkey on my back
we gobble the rain
jabbering whirling eddies
my skirt swirling like Carmen Miranda

More from Melanie ↓


You can listen to me read Picture This by Melanie over on Instagram @rembrandts.cure


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: 355

One Poem Only
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