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
Baby Book by Maggie Devers - For My Daughter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10
Baby BookMaggie DeversI didn’t make my daughter a baby book,I wrote her weird poems instead.I can hear her explaining this to her friends,“There’s no scrapbook full of memoriesBut there is a special poem about me being A…
“I dreamt I was in Paris” by Jen Booton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:42
“I dreamt I was in Paris” Jen Booton I dreamt I was in Paris scents of coffee and absinthe wafting as olfactory wind chimes typewriters snug on Boulevard Montparnasse tables peppered with burgeoning authors lost among th…
Of Course by Maggie Devers - For My Daughter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:52
Of CourseMaggie DeversHer feet were purple when she was born,The cord pinned between her shoulder and me.Half a dozen extra doctors and nurses had converged in the room moments before,All of me open to all of themAs my d…
“My poetry has big bones” by Bex [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:22
“My poetry has big bones” Bex My poetry has big bones And big ideas tooShe wears vintage lace And she remembers every time she was slipped on... Poetry smokes green in the grass with her lover and dissects the sun for sh…
First Blood by Maggie Devers - For My Daughter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:44
First Blood Maggie Devers I remember the first blood of her,The implant blood they call it.It was possible I was pregnant,We had laughed about it in Malta a few days and half a world away ago,Sitting on our private balco…
“as the ground begins to frost” by esso [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:59
“as the ground begins to frost” esso as the ground begins to frost we snuggle in heavier cloth to live out shortbread days laden in chocolate, lavender & cedar-smoke hugging hooded hours to soothe broken & healing layers…
For My Daughter - Title Poem [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:30
For My Daughter Maggie Devers Chop off my head and put it on your shield.I will protect you until the day I dieAnd all the days after that.You think I would let anything harm the perfection that sprang from my body?That…
my throat makes by atm.itm [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:28
my throat makes atm.itm corridors into cloth carries shimmering light i have forgotten how fabric can be light as light stitches from hands i have not met rest lightly on my shoulder it is the words hard to say that stic…
For My Daughter Audiobook Intro [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:42
The audiobook of For My Daughter releases 12-12. Listen to a poem a day from the book by subscribing to One Poem Only.
Timeline by Quinn Holm [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:23
Timeline Quinn Holm I wrote Spring in WinterI wrote Winter in Summerand Fall somewhere in betweenthe changing weatherThe nature in me has its own seasonsI’m not afraid of being forgottenfor my being needs no outside opin…