The Spark by Maggie Devers

The Spark by Maggie Devers

Author: Maggie Devers May 1, 2025 Duration: 1:59

Asking the age old question, where do we start?

The Spark

by Maggie Devers

I try to think where her story starts.

When I went to my parents' for the weekend
And the Labrador could smell her
And for the first time in her dog life, didn’t jump on me

Or when I met her father
And we kissed on our first date
At the cowboy bar that's burned down twice now,

Or when we named her
And whispered her into my womb
On an island far from here

Or when she jumped awake in Star Wars,
Whatever one was out
The Christmas before she was born

Or when she was born
Or when I first felt her kick
Or when I decided I wanted a daughter
And wondered what she would be like

When was that?

It’s hard to know where to begin
When we’re constantly in the process of beginning.

More from Maggie Devers ↓

  1. Read my debut poetry book, For My Daughter
  2. 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
Podcast Episodes
Sunday Recap & Good Things by Maggie Devers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:41
Here’s your recap of this week’s poems plus one new poem to carry us into the week ahead.Dec 8 - Momma Said Be Nice by Chris Kads @chris_kads on Instagram. Chris runs Gut Punch Prompts, a twice monthly poetry challenge o…
Winter Marmalade by Matthew D Albertson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:11
Winter Marmalade Matthew D Albertson When the days of midnight sunAre past, a gnawing grows within—A pit of need. Not for want of foodOr drink. No, it is the dark itself I yearnTo eat, grown in gloaming hours—That of thy…
Good Things by Maggie Devers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:59
Good ThingsShe remembers that you get to pick where you want to sit at IHOPAnd she knows exactly where she wants to sit.She notices we are wearing the same outfit Bike shorts and shirts with sleeves that are too big.Two…
The Forest by Maria Beben [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:31
The Forest Maria Beben We tasted the achelike a familiar cocktail,one we hopedto never drink again.We took a branchthat posed a dangerand added more kindling,looking around for anything that would burn.We gathered and ad…
The Graduate by Caitríona Walsh [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:16
The Graduate Caitríona Walsh On the vesper of March I pulsed through the desert, Ever the vagary Clot of the bloodline.Koutoubia's minaret Catnapped before me, Steepled in sandstone–A moonshot missileLullabied by ouds An…
when we fall by Paper Trail Poetry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:53
when we fall Paper Trail Poetry when we fallwe give back to the soilthat nurtured us.seasonally, we are compost, yes,but life-giving nonetheless.when we fallour roots are ruptured;we are bare.decay tightensits cold, rott…
Momma Said Be Nice by Chris Kads [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:55
Momma Said Be Nice Chris KadsThis poem was originally published in Blood+Honey Lit mag and is being republished with SHINE International Poetry Series.You don’t expect to serve mashed potatoes and steak for breakfast. Do…
Sunday Recap & When the Hum Rises by Maggie Devers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:59
Here’s your recap of this week’s poems plus one new poem to carry us into the week ahead.Dec 1 - Timeline by Quinn Holm @quinnholm.muse and @gratusgarden on Instagram. Quinn Holm on Substack.Dec 2 - my throat makes by at…
Morning Magic by Maggie Devers - For My Daughter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:28
Morning Magic Maggie DeversA princess sits at the edge of my bedTelling fantastical stories,My sleepy head tripping over the details But in line with the nuance.She prattles like a caffeinated sage,Wisdom seeping out of…
Hearthside by Dorothy Parker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:14
Hearthside Dorothy Parker Half across the world from me Lie the lands I'll never see- I, whose longing lives and dies Where a ship has sailed away; I, that never close my eyes But to look upon Cathay.Things I may not kno…