The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Latest Episodes:

1556: Articulation of Solace by Yongyu Chen Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Articulation of Solace by Yongyu Chen.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “I’ve read a lot of books over the years, and some have fundamentally changed not only the way I write but the way I think. I mean books that broke everything wide open for me, showing me possibilities — in form, and in content — that I couldn’t access before. Today’s poem impacted me like those beloved texts, with its jewellike sentences and its use of the field of the page.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Power your daily dose of poetry at Slowdownshow.org/donate

1555: Kindness by Naomi Shihab Nye Jul 09, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Kindness by Naomi Shihab Nye.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Wherever you live, you don’t have to be nice. But please be kind. We need more genuine, altruistic kindness in this world. So, how can you be more kind? By helping others without being performative about it, and without needing recognition. By letting people know you’re thinking of them, by reaching out when you know someone is struggling, and by practicing simple acts of kindness: holding a door open, letting someone go ahead of you in line, offering a sincere compliment. And one more thing: You can take in the wisdom of today’s poem and pass it along.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Power your daily dose of poetry at Slowdownshow.org/donate

1554: Nobody's Job by Ronna Bloom Jul 08, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Nobody's Job by Ronna Bloom.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “We call an ending “resonant” because it does what a bell does: After it’s rung, the vibration lingers. It reverberates. It sticks with you long after you’ve read the piece, humming in your head. Today’s poem is beautiful start to finish, but the ending astonished me. It moved me to tears, which caught me by surprise! If you don’t know this poem, I’m envious that you get to experience it for the first time.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Power your daily dose of poetry at Slowdownshow.org/donate

1553: When you have to remind me to do the dishes by Isaac Pickell Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is When you have to remind me to do the dishes by Isaac Pickell.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “When I think back to my own upbringing and what I learned from my mother and father, almost none of it has to do with growing up as a girl. I got my work ethic, sense of humor, and sense of fairness from both of them. I remind myself of all of that whenever I wonder if my son is getting what he needs from me. And I remind myself that he has a village around him.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Power your daily dose of poetry at Slowdownshow.org/donate

1552: Mother Church No. 3 by Robin Coste Lewis Jul 06, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Mother Church No. 3 by Robin Coste Lewis.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “It’s incredible to me that less than two hours from my home in the Midwestern suburbs is an enormous ancient earthwork. But that’s the thing about history — it layers on top of itself in unexpected ways. No matter where you live in the United States, you live on land that has long been home to Indigenous people.”

This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support us today. Slowdownshow.org/donate

1551: Laurelhurst by David Biespiel Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Laurelhurst by David Biespiel.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem makes its many, intentional observations at the pace of a good, long walk.”