The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Latest Episodes:

1576: What I Am Telling You, Jessica, Is That Those Chickens Are Fine by K.T. Landon Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is What I Am Telling You, Jessica, Is That Those Chickens Are Fine by K.T. Landon.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Several of our neighbors have backyard coops, and occasionally we’re offered fresh eggs. Unfortunately, the raccoons and possums (and maybe even a fox) have encountered the chickens, too. There are fewer now.”

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1575: ode to the afternoon by Zeina Hashem Beck Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is ode to the afternoon by Zeina Hashem Beck.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “‘Que Sera Sera’ is a song I remember my mother singing when I was small. Which is fitting, as the song opens with these words: ‘When I was just a little girl I asked my mother what will I be.’ I remember part of the chorus well: ‘Que Sera Sera, whatever will be, will be, the future’s not ours to see.’”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate

1574: Black Fairy Tale by Elizabeth Spires Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Black Fairy Tale by Elizabeth Spires.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “When I was old enough, I found my way to the collected Brothers Grimm, but even then I wasn’t quite old enough for the violence I found inside. Cinderella’s sisters butchered their own feet to try to fit into the glass slipper! That bloody plot detail certainly wasn’t in the Disney movie with the cute mice and birds who made Cinderella a dress from fabric scraps.Today’s poem conjures that dark, fantastical world of fairy tales.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate

1573: Dialogue with the Oldest Tree in the U.S., whose Location is a Closely-Guarded Forest Service Secret by Nina Sudhakar Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Dialogue with the Oldest Tree in the U.S., whose Location is a Closely-Guarded Forest Service Secret by Nina Sudhakar.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “I like to think that I’m still growing as a person. That every year I become older, I truly grow older, developing some new part of myself. Conversations about aging so often dwell on preserving what you have when you’re young, about postponing loss. But when I turn to my writing, my poems and prose, I see a body of work that does continue to grow. A body that comes from my physical body, from how my whole being senses and processes the world around me. It continues to grow, even when marked by hardship, by absences, and by loss.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate

1572: Summer Strawberries by Cat Wei Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Summer Strawberries by Cat Wei.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “We move through life with so many doors opening and closing all around us. One of the gifts and burdens of being human is being aware of time, and impermanence, and our own mortality. That awareness keeps us grateful for what we have, but it can also make us fearful to lose what we have. Sometimes, as we see in today’s poem, it’s difficult not to wonder if life will go on as expected, and if traditions will continue, or if we’re experiencing the end of an era. But still, there are ways to find presence in the uncertainty.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation today. Slowdownshow.org/donate

1571: Guava Jelly by Quinn Franzen Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Guava Jelly by Quinn Franzen.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Sometimes, as we see in today’s poem, even when things are difficult, even just the smallest bit of sweetness helps.”