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.

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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
no place like home by Abhilasha Ghosh | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise. no place like homeAbhilasha Ghoshcoming back feels different—as if the walls have softenedwhile yo…
Borders by Maggie Devers & Weekly Poetry Recap | One Poem More [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:20
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 poemsPresence of Choice by Alecia LewisHarmony by Seán TateMemory weighs more th…
Comrades by Ella Wheeler Wilcox | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:52
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.Comrades Ella Wheeler Wilcox I and my Soul are alone to-day, All in the shining weather; We were sick of the world, and put it away, So we could rejoi…
I Am Mother by Melissa Norton | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:45
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise.I Am Mother Melissa Norton I am Mother, stepping barefoot on the snake.Absorbing her power as her b…
Tangerines and Alcoholism by Labanya Dey | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:47
A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud.Tangerines and AlcoholismLabanya DeyMy mother peels tangerines Carefully scaling the orange fleshUntil her nails dig into the sour crevices O…
Harmony by Seán Tate | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.HarmonySeán TateHarmony, intermingled with melody, falls lightly from the heavensto coat the parched earth.Rough flakes made smooth by a rich flowing…
Presence of Choice by Alecia Lewis | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00
One Poem Only is a daily poetry podcast offering a quiet moment with a single poem—read aloud, without analysis or noise. Presence of ChoiceAlecia LewisI hold no one.They can come or go.Freely.Unbound.They may disconnect…
Prattle On 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 poemsSame Fire by Diana JoharResist by Francesca AcquavivaThe -ness of things by…
To Imagination by Emily Brontë | One Poem Only [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:15
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.To Imagination Emily Brontë When weary with the long day's care,And earthly change from pain to pain,And lost, and ready to despair,Thy kind voice cal…