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 & Theory by Maggie Devers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:12
Here’s your recap of this week’s poems plus one new poem to carry us into the week ahead.Sep 15 - First Person Account of a Seed by Vinita Agrawal @vinitaagrawal18 on Instagram. Her book Eartha is out now.Sep 16 - the li…
A Pocketful of Joy by Mishty Singh [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:04
A Pocketful of Joy by Mishty Singh Joy doesn't always dance in paradesor call your name from mountaintops.Sometimes, it drifts in quietly the same way light pools on windowsills,the same way a breeze remembers your hair.…
When I fall asleep by Jessica Lyon-Wall [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:49
When I fall asleep by Jessica Lyon-Wall I was 12 when they brought me back. The process Was a slow one, over a year I went unnoticed, Pale, thin, and guzzling My brother's juice in secret. One day I went to sleep And did…
Sometimes by Hania Anwar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:22
Sometimes by Hania AnwarSometimesI wish I was born aManin true Plath-ian fashionto roam the desolate fieldsat Dusky Dawnwithout the gripping fearof being stripped bare andTornIf I were a Man I wonderwould I fight half as…
I am the dove by GiGi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:18
I am the doveby GiGi I am the dove. My song is mournful,a single nerve splitting cry outin painbecause it’s fucking rainingand pouringwith pressure and bullshitand there’s nothing I can do to stop itand it feels like I’l…
the listener by Laura Theis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:27
the listener Laura Theis her magic was so gentle you may not have known itfor a spellthe way she was able to listen so openlythat we were each coaxed into speaking our languagethe fiddle began to talk of the willow tree…
First Person Account of a Seed by Vinita Agrawal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:14
First Person Account of a Seed by Vinita Agrawal All night, the face of awning greenhovers above me, its branches carved partlywith the grimace of my own imagination.The sacred wounds of treesleaves me trembling in my ow…
Sunday Recap & Play More by Maggie Devers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:21
Here’s your recap of this week’s poems plus one new poem to carry us into the week ahead.Sep 8 - Broken by Ani Leland @neversent.poetry on Instagram. Her book, Echoes and Embers, the first in a trilogy co-authored with T…
Mabon by Danielle Marie Cahill [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:03
Mabon Danielle Marie Cahill We choose three glowing apples in the greengrocerand take them home: one for each of us,polished scarlet.I slice them horizontally, so when I open the fleshyou both see the pattern of seed sta…
Grief is like a corpse in the land of the living. by Kimeysia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:30
Grief is like a corpse in the land of the living. Kimeysia They say grief is found in the saddest of people,In the saddest of families,In the lost and in the lonely.But I say this isn’t true.I’ve seen grief in happy home…