Sunday Recap & One More Step by Maggie Devers

Sunday Recap & One More Step by Maggie Devers

Author: Maggie Devers January 18, 2026 Duration: 10:17

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

Jan 12 - Happiness by Navya Chaudhary @chaoticconfessor on Instagram. Her book, Unfinished Letters, is out now.

Jan 13 - I Promise by Riley Hope McPheters @rileyhmcpheters on Instagram. She is a member of @PoetzPortalFW, that exists to awaken consciousness and cultivate liberated creative practice through the transformative power of poetry, sound, and communal dialogue.

Jan 14 - Aloof by Luwa @luwawrites on Instagram. You can listen and watch me read Beauty Allures by Luwa on Instagram @rembrandts.cure.

Jan 15 - Rooted by Shaq Mendes @shackahh_wackahh on Instagram.

Jan 16 - The Season of Returning by Lara @itslarawrites on Instagram.

Jan 17 - The Anatomy of Dawn by Saleha Najeeb @gotta_slayyyy on Instagram. Her book, Whispers Unveiled, is available now.

Jan 18

One More Step

Maggie Devers

I’m worried you might be missing it
I’m worried you might be living through it all and not really living it
I’m worried you can’t smell it
I’m worried you don’t pull it close and smother yourself

Will you remember how she always smelled of milk?
And the way her cry would squeak early in the morning?
Or how she first said daddy
And then her own name
How she needed us for everything and then one day
Didn’t.

I thought I’d be better prepared,
That we could mark it on the calendar and celebrate
But it snuck up on me—
She learned to dress herself,
Feed herself,
Pick up after herself
And I forgot what I was here to teach her
And started learning what I was here to teach myself
We hold on to the parts that we think come first
But the order doesn’t go how we imagine
Time is tricky—
The hand that pulls you forward isn’t always your own.

More from Maggie Devers ↓

  1. My debut poetry collection, For My Daughter, available as an audiobook.
  2. Purchase a signed copy of For My Daughter or get one free by subscribing to the podcast: One Poem Only on Patreon
  3. Follow me on Instagram for more poetry @rembrandts.cure

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
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