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
Koi Pond by Isra Cheema [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:56
Koi Pond Isra Cheema This poem was first published in Ghost City PressTW: AbortionLook down and see your unborn baby floating in the middle of the toilet bowl—you see it spin slowly like a lone koi fish, it’s soft pinked…
I Watched Gaza Burn From My Bed by Fatima Zahra Gul [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:29
I Watched Gaza Burn From My Bed Fatima Zahra Gul i made teawhile gaza lost internet.they bombed jabalialike it wasn’t filled with sleeping children.like it wasn’t already rubble the last time they came.al-ahli hospital g…
Pop Punk Therapy (Kristen’s Version) by Kristen Rosasco [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:31
Pop Punk Therapy (Kristen’s Version) Kristen Rosasco I. THIRTY, FLIRTY, AND DEEPLY UNWELLThey told me thirty would feel likefreedom—like a crisp Chardonnay in an overpriced glass,like a mortgage,like knees that don’t aud…
Broken by Ani Leland [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:16
Broken Ani Leland They say I'm heartbrokenBut heartache can't sufficiently describeHow the physical agony in my chest steals the air from my lungsPain so visceral tears seem trivial - not a worthy outlet of emotionThese…
Sunday Recap & I Worry by Maggie Devers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:18
Here’s your recap of this week’s poems plus one new poem to carry us into the week ahead.Sep 1 - The Bleeding of Dreams by Dean Charpentier @mrcharps on Instagram. His most recent publication: two poems featured in B O D…
Stillness of Light by J. Ishaan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:29
Stillness of Light J. Ishaan The wind runs wildacross empty ground—no footsteps, no voice,no soul to meet its cry.The sun slips away,its final raysbrushing the earthin tender, fading gold—a beauty too fragile to stay.The…
Accidental Birds by Deborah Howard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:49
Accidental Birds Deborah Howard Let’s meet beyond the ticking of clockswhere the river flows over smooth stoneand wildflowers lace the muddy banks.I will come over the stone wall,knees bloodied from scrambling across sha…
A memorial service before death by Adheena S Farhan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:08
A memorial service before death Adheena S Farhan a house/ before it’s a funeral home/ is a pitstop for God.a hot midafternoon always seems to linger/ past welcome.I live in that part of the world/ where memorial services…
Playground by David Park [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:47
Playground David Park In the spheres the playgrounds are alive!Excitement pours forth in laughter and tears. What’s now and what’s nextis felt as the vibrations ripple through the air. Rising up through the trees to echo…