The Forest by Maria Beben

The Forest by Maria Beben

Author: Maggie Devers December 11, 2025 Duration: 2:31

The Forest

Maria Beben

We tasted the ache
like a familiar cocktail,
one we hoped
to never drink again.
We took a branch
that posed a danger
and added more kindling,
looking around for anything that would burn.
We gathered and added
until the branch became a forest
and we couldn’t see through
to the other side.
We felt betrayed
and confused
and didn’t understand how we got there.
We stood on opposite ends of this forest
and felt the weight
of a growing terror.

But at the exact moment
when we reached for a box of matches
to burn it all down,
we remembered that trees have branches
and began to climb.
From the top,
in the clear, crisp air,
we could see
that the forest wasn’t a forest at all
just a few trees
that we could help each other
navigate through.
So we climbed back down
and cleared the weeds
and made a path
and together,
celebrated the trees for what they were
before walking out the other side —
Together.

More from Maria Beben ↓


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
On the Roof I See by Mirela Salihovic | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:20
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]

Duration: 1:56
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]

Duration: 2:42
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]

Duration: 1:40
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.CAUTION: STUDENT DRIVERCarly ThompsonI’ve jumped out of the boatthe churning water turns to smokemy mind is a black sand beachthe world is one of thos…
To Be a Salamander by Rachel Turney | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:42
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]

Duration: 1:45
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]

Duration: 2:52
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]

Duration: 1:41
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…