What's Wrong with My Heart by Gillian Shiels | One Poem Only

What's Wrong with My Heart by Gillian Shiels | One Poem Only

Author: Maggie Devers May 11, 2026 Duration: 1:16

One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise.

What's Wrong with My Heart

Gillian Shiels

My heart is a little broken:
Sometimes it does too much ticking
And not enough tocking.
It’s an electrical signal disruption,
They tell me.
I take my tablets every day
And they help.
Most of the time.
But I worry.
I can’t help it.
Over the years,
This poor heart of mine
Has been shattered so many times.
It has been battered,
Bruised,
Ached so badly
I was sure I would die.
It has expanded
And contracted.
Been scorched by flames
I mistook for lasting warmth.
Still, I will continue to take my tablets.
And whisper to my heart in the night,
As if it were a fragile bird,
Beat on,
sweet heart,
beat on.

More from Gillian Shiels ↓


Support + Stay Connected to OPO

If you’d like to support the show, Substack and Patreon members receive a copy of my book, For My Daughter, along with episodes from the audiobook.

Poetry slows us down. Thank you for listening.


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: 100

One Poem Only
Podcast Episodes
In Warmth by Maggie Devers & Weekly Poetry Recap | One Poem More [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:18
One Poem More gathers all of this week’s poems from One Poem Only—an unhurried chance to listen again, or catch what you missed.This week’s poemsPlutocracy by Alicia SwainTony and/or Tonee by Nguyen Minh TriSnail by Lizz…
Epitaph On A Tyrant by W. H. Auden | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:43
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.Epitaph On A TyrantW. H. AudenPerfection, of a kind, was what he was after,And the poetry he invented was easy to understand;He knew human folly like…
Reduced by Rosalind Davies | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:12
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise.ReducedRosalind DaviesEasy winter option, ideal for layering over your favourite outfits,regular fi…
intuition by rism | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08
A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud.intuitionrismPattern recognition is acognitive discipline —congenitally decided for most,congested with emotion.Not to boast, butI’m a fuckin…
Tony and/or Tonee by Nguyen Minh Tri | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:46
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.Tony and/or ToneeNguyen Minh TriThe "y" is a hook, a barb in the ground,A heavy-set anchor, a masculine sound.It carries the dust of the fathers and s…
Plutocracy by Alicia Swain | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise. PlutocracyAlicia SwainIn kitchens drops will drip, each brown in hue,a mother will keep her son fr…
Cling to Me by Maggie Devers & Weekly Poetry Recap | One Poem More [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:39
One Poem More gathers all of this week’s poems from One Poem Only—an unhurried chance to listen again, or catch what you missed.This week’s poemsOperating Instructions for the Day After Your Best Friend Tells You He Supp…
A Dream by Edgar Allan Poe | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:59
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.A DreamEdgar Allan PoeIn visions of the dark nightI have dreamed of joy departedBut a waking dream of life and lightHath left me broken-hearted.Ah! wh…
mortal perch by Amanda Thuy | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:29
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise.mortal perchAmanda Thuyupon a mortal perch i scribe away my lonely parts,pulled from deepest chasm…