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
Signs by Defne Kartal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:47
Signs Defne Kartal I don’t believe in signs but I doI beg for them daily, and when they arrive -A postcard, a dog, a friend, a group of musicians, a Canadian -i don’t do what I think they’re telling me towhat are signs f…
Sunday Recap & The prompt was to write by Maggie Devers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:57
Here’s your recap of this week’s poems plus one new poem to carry us into the week ahead.Nov 3 - Naked by Danielle Martin @cosquelle.mind on Instagram. DanielleM on Facebook. Her book, Kissing Shadows: Caribbean Love Poe…
"Dear death" by Alexis M Levine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:55
A poem inspired by Emily Dickinson Dear death How can I stay when you, more than life, make me feel seen? They call you cruel, but I have seen the gentleness in your cruelty— the mercy in your ending, the way you unburde…
Nightmares are dreams too by Dimple Dinesh Lokhande [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:36
Nightmares are dreams too Dimple Dinesh Lokhande In the midnight sky, as breeze passes by, In our sleep, we tend to fly, To a place where dreams seem to lie. Dreams whisper on clouds in silver light, We see in shining ar…
you wrote anyway by Abhilasha Ghosh [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:11
you wrote anyway Abhilasha Ghosh july 25th, 2025 you were told writing was a man’s terrain— ink too heavy, thought too sharp for your soft hands. so you wrote anyway. you became george eliot when mary ann wouldn’t be tak…
Her Absence by Katrina Kaye [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:14
Her Absence Katrina Kaye I do not regret the days I spent loving you in her absence. I do not regret your tempered touches as you searched for her skin under my scales or the way your eyes reflected her sharp chin and fr…
Poetry Reading by Maggie Devers & An Exciting Announcement [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:39
Poetry Reading Maggie Devers After Chelsie DianeThis is a rememberingWhen we come togetherAnd read our truth.We have been doing this forever.They have tried to stop us—Burnt us alive, tied rocks to our ankles and threw u…
Naked by Danielle Martin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:13
Naked Danielle Martin Naked in the truth that she is alone she hugs herself tightly and succeeds in creating the illusion of wellness. Damp eyes close as jaded lips conjure up wide smiles. Damn! Her mind begins to do its…
Sunday Recap & Forty-Three Is Poetry by Maggie Devers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:26
Here’s your recap of this week’s poems plus one new poem to carry us into the week ahead.Oct 27 - i don't remember being small by Momena Khan @still.in.my.d4afts_ on Instagram.Oct 28 - What Are We by Laker Patience @lake…
"I would peel pomegranates for you—" by Hareem Ismail [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:11
I would peel pomegranates for you—Not just slice them open, but gently with my fingers stained red— I would learn its anatomy, the way they bruise and break if held too harshly, the way they hold memories in every seed.I…