Sunday Recap & Cast Off by Maggie Devers

Sunday Recap & Cast Off by Maggie Devers

Author: Maggie Devers October 19, 2025 Duration: 8:46

Here’s your recap of this week’s poems plus one new poem to carry us into the week ahead.

Oct 13 - House of Childhood by Nataša Benedičič @natasek_poetry_corner on Instagram. Childhood Reveries is her Substack. Her book, Whispers of the Inner Child, is out now.

Oct 14 - "Where will we get" by Sophia Nerenberg @sophia_the_writer10 on Instagram

Oct 15 - "I want to escape this world." by Lipy Goyal @thediaryofscript on Instagram. You can listen to me read another poem by Lipy on Instagram @rembrandts.cure

Oct 16 - Love Letter to the Lesion in My Brain by Erin Zarro @erinzpoetry on Instagram. Her two chapbooks, Life as a Moving Target, and Without Wings, are available now.

Oct 17 - Tell Me by Evita Arakelian @dipped_in_words on Instagram. She teaches poetry to all ages with tailor-made syllabi, individual and group instruction; independently as well as on platforms like SuperProf. You can find the latest information on her Linktree.

Oct 18 - "I dream of a happy ending." by Alena Peacock @n0t.a.poet on Instagram.

Oct 19 - Cast Off

Maggie Devers
The elephant seal sheds all the skin from her body once a year.
Catastrophic molt they call it.
This is necessary because when she stops breathing for two hours
Collapsing her lungs
Diving deep, sometimes a mile
To feast on bioluminescent creatures in the ocean's depths,
She pulls blood from her skin to her organs.
She must keep her heart warm if she's to have any chance to survive.

More from Maggie Devers ↓


Mentioned in this episode:

Write After: National Poetry Month with One Poem Only

Write After is a way to encourage poets to listen and write, and use National Poetry Month to highlight how listening to poetry makes us better poets. I know I write the best when I’m surrounded by beautiful poetry–it’s part of the reason I created this podcast, and I want to encourage others to share this practice. We'll get started in April. You can share to #WriteAfterOPO.

#WriteAfterOPO


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
Podcast Episodes
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One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.On the Roof I SeeMirela SalihovicMy little sister and I,When we’re in the tent,love to play a game.We call it:"On the roof I see..."And whoever’s turn…
Crushed Peaches In Palm by Paige Keller | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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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.Crushed Peaches In PalmPaige KellerThis poem was first featured in Mad Persona MagazineI am gatheri…
Mastering the Pen by Ellie Augustin | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud.Mastering the PenEllie AugustinI learned the weight of a penthe way warriors learn steelnot in theory,but in the quiet repetitionof showing u…
CAUTION: STUDENT DRIVER by Carly Thompson | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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To Be a Salamander by Rachel Turney | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.To Be a Salamander Rachel Turney I want to be like you. I crave your regenerative abilities.Does the heart count as a limb? If so, I could regrow thep…
Not mine anymore by Avalon | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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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. Not mine anymore Avalon If my words are my ownThey are all that I haveExcept... that’s not quite r…
Butterscotch by Amy Laessle-Morgan | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud.ButterscotchAmy Laessle-MorganSomewhere between the amberblush streetlight of Divisionand the butterscotch stain on the back of my throat,the…
Dear Personal Care Department God by Chris Kads | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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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.Dear Personal Care Department GodChris KadsAfter Lancee WhetmanGod of the Personal Care Department,…
Ugly Bones by Ella B. Winters | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:56
A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud.Ugly Bones by Ella B. WintersElla B. WintersBehind the dusty radiator,green splashed like bloodspray in a B-film, from that timewhen you deci…