The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily
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- 13. Nov. 2026
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Host Maggie Smith is your daily poetry companion. Poetry is one of the greatest tools we have to wield our own attention — to consider our own lives and the lives of others, to help us live creatively and compassionately, to use that attention to lean into wonder, and joy, and truth, and to find hope — to keep hoping. The Slowdown community knows that reflecting on a poem, every weekday, can connect us to our inner world and the world around us. Listen as you make your morning coffee, as you go on a walk in your neighborhood, as you pull away from the to-do list, as you resist the dismal, endless scroll to share five minutes of perspective through the lens of poetry, from poets old and new, well-loved and emerging onto the scene. Brought to you by American Public Media, in partnership with the Poetry Foundation.
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1602: No Guarantees by Kelly Grace Thomas
Today’s poem is No Guarantees by Kelly Grace Thomas.The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Something I think about more and more as I age, and as I watch my parents age, is …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is No Guarantees by Kelly Grace Thomas.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Something I think about more and more as I age, and as I watch my parents age, is how in this country, our finances determine the level of care we receive. The speaker of today’s poem understands these complex issues, as she navigates infertility and a parent’s illness.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. slowdownshow.org/donate
1601: Girls Overheard While Assembling a Puzzle by Mary Szybist
Today’s poem is Girls Overheard While Assembling a Puzzle by Mary Szybist.The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem eavesdrops on two girls playing together, and I …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Girls Overheard While Assembling a Puzzle by Mary Szybist.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem eavesdrops on two girls playing together, and I find the dialogue between them so charming.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. slowdownshow.org/donate
1600: The Thing Is by Ellen Bass
Today’s poem is The Thing Is by Ellen Bass. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem is one that I seek out, and one that I’m always glad to come across in the …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is The Thing Is by Ellen Bass.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem is one that I seek out, and one that I’m always glad to come across in the wild.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. slowdownshow.org/donate
1599: Heading Out to Sea by José A. Alcántara
Today’s poem is Heading Out to Sea by José A. Alcántara.The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “The truth is, all bodies are imperfect. But today’s poem reminds me …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Heading Out to Sea by José A. Alcántara.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “The truth is, all bodies are imperfect. But today’s poem reminds me, importantly, that this body is the only one I have. There’s no “spare,” no back up, no alternative. When I think of it that way, it’s impossible not to be grateful.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. slowdownshow.org/donate
1598: Advice to a Monolith by Talley V. Kayser
Today’s poem is Advice to a Monolith by Talley V. Kayser.The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Landscape is psychological. It impacts how we feel, how we see ourselves, how …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Advice to a Monolith by Talley V. Kayser.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Landscape is psychological. It impacts how we feel, how we see ourselves, how we understand our experience. When you change the landscape, you change everything!”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. slowdownshow.org/donate
1597: On Children by Kahlil Gibran
Today’s poem is On Children by Kahlil Gibran. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “I’ve always believed my son and daughter came through me, not to me, like I’m the door …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is On Children by Kahlil Gibran.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “I’ve always believed my son and daughter came through me, not to me, like I’m the door they used to enter the world. In this way, I feel like they’ve been loaned to me, and my job is to be a steward and a guide while they’re young. Today’s poem articulates that better than I can here, and I think that’s what we turn to poems for: to tell us the truth, and to tell it beautifully.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. slowdownshow.org/donate
1596: Hares by Angela Ball
Today’s poem is Hares by Angela Ball. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Sometimes I read or listen to a poem, and I’m absolutely charmed — seduced — by the sentences …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Hares by Angela Ball.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Sometimes I read or listen to a poem, and I’m absolutely charmed — seduced — by the sentences: the way they move across the lines, like a river moving around a bend, breaking around stones. Sometimes I marvel at the word choices, at the sounds, at the way a narrative unfolds.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. slowdownshow.org/donate
1595: My Shark by Ellie Black
Today’s poem is My Shark by Ellie Black.The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Writing is a process of discovery. When I’m working on a poem or an essay, I don’t know what I …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is My Shark by Ellie Black.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Writing is a process of discovery. When I’m working on a poem or an essay, I don’t know what I might find, and that sense of discovery doesn’t end when the piece is finished and published.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. slowdownshow.org/donate
1594: The Grass Could Be Yours by Emily Lee Luan
Today’s poem is The Grass Could Be Yours by Emily Lee Luan. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Feeling at home somewhere new is surreal. Surreal and comfortable. Freeing …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is The Grass Could Be Yours by Emily Lee Luan.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Feeling at home somewhere new is surreal. Surreal and comfortable. Freeing, in a way. I’m not where the memories of my life took place, but because of the landscape, and the people, my senses feel at home. And so my memories seem to be at home, too.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. slowdownshow.org/donate
1593: Halloween in the Anthropocene by Karyna McGlynn
Today’s poem is Halloween in the Anthropocene by Karyna McGlynn. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Now that we’re past Halloween, I can admit that I’m not much of a …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Halloween in the Anthropocene by Karyna McGlynn.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Now that we’re past Halloween, I can admit that I’m not much of a Halloween person. It was fun when I was little, trick-or-treating with my friends, because, hey, free candy! And it was fun for me as a mother of young children. The speaker of today’s poem celebrates Halloween the way I do now: as an observer, outside of it all.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. slowdownshow.org/donate
1386: [encore] Night of the Living, Night of the Dead by Kim Addonizio
Today’s poem is Night of the Living, Night of the Dead by Kim Addonizio.The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “It might surprise you to know that one of my favorite genres is …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Night of the Living, Night of the Dead by Kim Addonizio.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “It might surprise you to know that one of my favorite genres is the zombie movie. I like my zombies fast, like in ‘Train to Busan’ and ‘28 Days Later,’ and I like my zombies slow, like in the old classics directed by George Romero. In ‘Night of the Living Dead,’ the zombies shamble so slowly, people can run right by them. They seem unable to figure out doorknobs and fence latches and cars. It’s black-and-white, so the gore isn’t that gory: the blood and guts are gray, after all! It’s still scary, though—because the zombies are seemingly uncontainable. They just keep coming at you. Today’s poem has been a favorite of mine for years, and it seemed like the right choice for Halloween.”
Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp
1363: [encore] Notes on Beachgrass by Yong-Yu Huang
Today’s poem is Notes on Beachgrass by Yong-Yu Huang. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem offers us images we often find in poetry: the ocean, the moon …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Notes on Beachgrass by Yong-Yu Huang.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem offers us images we often find in poetry: the ocean, the moon, dreams, a mother, a wound. But it offers us these elements in such a profoundly original and moving way. I couldn’t read this poem just once—I had to read it several times, picking up new treasures with each reading, like walking along the same stretch of beach at different times of day and finding new shells.”
Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp
1360: [encore] Wind, Blue Sky by Susan Aizenberg
Today’s poem is Wind, Blue Sky by Susan Aizenberg. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem speaks to the challenge of staying in the present moment, and having …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Wind, Blue Sky by Susan Aizenberg.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem speaks to the challenge of staying in the present moment, and having gratitude for that moment, when memory is always doing what it does best: calling to us from afar.”
Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp
1354: [encore] Checkout by Caroline Bird
Today’s poem is Checkout by Caroline Bird. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “I’m willing to bet that no one on their death bed says, “I wish I’d spent more time at the …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Checkout by Caroline Bird.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “I’m willing to bet that no one on their death bed says, “I wish I’d spent more time at the office.” No one, taking stock of their life in those final days and moments, is thinking about spreadsheets or profits or ROI - Return on Investment. I can imagine what I’ll be thinking about at the end of my life: my beloveds, and the beauty of this place I’ve called home, and the memories I treasure most.”
Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp
1352: [encore] Blue by Jodie Hollander
Today’s poem is Blue by Jodie Hollander.The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem speaks to how we all see the world—and our lives—with completely unique eyes. With …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Blue by Jodie Hollander.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem speaks to how we all see the world—and our lives—with completely unique eyes. With a vision colored by our own experiences.”
Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp
1351: [encore] The Happy Middle by Hedgie Choi
Today’s poem is The Happy Middle by Hedgie Choi. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem walloped me with its authentic intelligence. Even in her grief, this …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is The Happy Middle by Hedgie Choi.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem walloped me with its authentic intelligence. Even in her grief, this poem’s speaker envisions her situation from a different perspective. This poem imagines so artfully, I think you’ll want to revisit it a second time, and then a third. That is the power of authentic intelligence.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate
1350: [encore] Real Estate by Richard Siken
Today’s poem is Real Estate by Richard Siken. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem unpacks some of what happens when families change, because of death or …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Real Estate by Richard Siken.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem unpacks some of what happens when families change, because of death or divorce or other upheavals. I admire the way it looks not only at the variables—what must necessarily change—but also at the constants.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate
1349: [encore] Sati by Vandana Khanna
Today’s poem is Sati by Vandana Khanna. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem is a persona poem from the point of view of a Hindu goddess, Sati. The practice of …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Sati by Vandana Khanna.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem is a persona poem from the point of view of a Hindu goddess, Sati. The practice of a widow throwing herself on her husband’s funeral pyre is named after Sati, who, in this poem, gets to speak. I think you’ll be moved by what she has to say.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate
1345: [encore] Arrangements by Adrienne Chung
Today’s poem is Arrangements by Adrienne Chung. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem speaks to the things we are drawn to, and to the compromises that must …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Arrangements by Adrienne Chung.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem speaks to the things we are drawn to, and to the compromises that must happen when we share space with others, and when there just isn’t room for everything.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate
1344: [encore] Cento Between the Ending and the End by Cameron Awkward-Rich
Today’s poem is Cento Between the Ending and the End by Cameron Awkward-Rich. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “In times that feel divisive and fragmented, today’s poem …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Cento Between the Ending and the End by Cameron Awkward-Rich.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “In times that feel divisive and fragmented, today’s poem is a reminder of what we can do and BE together. It’s a reminder of the whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate
Alynda Segarra: Holes by Eileen Myles (Extended Version)
Today’s poem is Holes by Eileen Myles, with special guest Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff.Alynda Segarra is a singer-songwriter and frontperson of the band Hurray for the Riff Raff. Their music is …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Holes by Eileen Myles, with special guest Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff.
Alynda Segarra is a singer-songwriter and frontperson of the band Hurray for the Riff Raff. Their music is genre-bending, drawing from punk, indie, and Americana roots.The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Alynda shares… “Memories are the way we integrate that which we've lost into our lives. They are our mental holey sweaters. We wear them around, they slowly disintegrate, but we are proud to wear them. Kind of like the bandana around your neck. You're holding on to this place or time or person that you don't have anymore.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate
Alynda Segarra: Holes by Eileen Myles
Today’s poem is Holes by Eileen Myles, with special guest Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff. Alynda Segarra is a singer-songwriter and frontperson of the band Hurray for the Riff Raff. Their music is …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Holes by Eileen Myles, with special guest Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff.
Alynda Segarra is a singer-songwriter and frontperson of the band Hurray for the Riff Raff. Their music is genre-bending, drawing from punk, indie, and Americana roots.The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Alynda shares… “It was through art that I saw many different examples of people who had created a life for themselves that they were told was impossible. So I fully committed to the path of an artist. It's a path that's allowed me freedom from gender or any other confines that were placed upon me.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate
1342: [encore] And Then It Was Less Bleak Because We Said So by Wendy Xu
Today’s poem is And Then It Was Less Bleak Because We Said So by Wendy Xu. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “When the world is on fire, it can feel frivolous to go …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is And Then It Was Less Bleak Because We Said So by Wendy Xu.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “When the world is on fire, it can feel frivolous to go dancing, to go to concerts, to host parties, to take vacations. Today’s poem so beautifully addresses the importance of holding onto joy—and onto one another—when the world feels dismal.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate
1339: [encore] Wind-Related Ripple in the Wheatfield by Mikko Harvey
Today’s poem is Wind-Related Ripple in the Wheatfield by Mikko Harvey. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Who might I have been—or with whom, or where—if the timing had …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Wind-Related Ripple in the Wheatfield by Mikko Harvey.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Who might I have been—or with whom, or where—if the timing had been different? Did I arrive too late to certain parts of my life, or too early? Or am I right on time? The “Choose Your Own Adventure” aspect of life is something on my mind a lot. I suspect it was on this poet’s mind, too.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate
1338: [encore] Are you bringing fruits, plants, seeds, by Karen Llagas
Today’s poem is Are you bringing fruits, plants, seeds, by Karen Llagas. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem looks at the anxiety and the absurdity of …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Are you bringing fruits, plants, seeds, by Karen Llagas.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem looks at the anxiety and the absurdity of America: How many people seem fixated on the dangers outside our borders without acknowledging the dangers within.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate
R.K. Russell: They/Them by Danez Smith (Extended Version)
Today’s poem is They/Them by Danez Smith, with special guest R.K. Russell. R.K. Russell is an NFL legend, writer, and social justice advocate who made history by becoming the first out active NFL player to …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is They/Them by Danez Smith, with special guest R.K. Russell.
R.K. Russell is an NFL legend, writer, and social justice advocate who made history by becoming the first out active NFL player to identify as bisexual.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, R.K. shares… “Oftentimes we see writing as a reflection of society, when really writing is where we bend society. It's where we bend the rules. Society is not shaping what we write. What we write is shaping society. Identity and relationships are what bust down the framework.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate
R.K. Russell: They/Them by Danez Smith
Today’s poem is They/Them by Danez Smith, with special guest R.K. Russell. R.K. Russell is an NFL legend, writer, and social justice advocate who made history by becoming the first out active NFL player to …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is They/Them by Danez Smith, with special guest R.K. Russell.
R.K. Russell is an NFL legend, writer, and social justice advocate who made history by becoming the first out active NFL player to identify as bisexual.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, R.K. shares… “When you start to want to live authentically as yourself, there are also sacrifices that must be made. A lot of those sacrifices are rooted in your relationships. How people view you, how people want you to give to them and love them and care for them.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate
1337: [encore] New York Address by Linda Gregg
Today’s poem is New York Address by Linda Gregg. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this encore episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem captures that feeling when you’ve just had it — you’ve absolutely …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is New York Address by Linda Gregg.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this encore episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem captures that feeling when you’ve just had it — you’ve absolutely hit your limit. But at the same time, you realize that you’re the only person who can pick yourself back up. You have to keep yourself going.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate
1335: [encore] Bonfire Opera by Danusha Laméris
Today’s poem is Bonfire Opera by Danusha Laméris. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this encore episode, Maggie writes… “Yes, I have new lines around my eyes and new glints of silver in my hair, but …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Bonfire Opera by Danusha Laméris.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this encore episode, Maggie writes… “Yes, I have new lines around my eyes and new glints of silver in my hair, but my body continues to surprise me in wonderful ways, too. It brings me a lot of pleasure—maybe even more pleasure than it did when I was in my teens, twenties, and even thirties. Because I appreciate it. And because I am less self-conscious. That is one of the gifts of aging: Becoming more yourself, and caring less about what others think about you or expect from you.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate
1334: [encore] Étude by Amy Gerstler
Today’s poem is Étude by Amy Gerstler. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this encore episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem is a celebration of sound, and also a celebration of our own power to …
Shownotes
Today’s poem is Étude by Amy Gerstler.
The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this encore episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem is a celebration of sound, and also a celebration of our own power to interpret sound and make meaning—as poets do. Poems, like songs, are meant to live in the air. They are their own music.”
This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate
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