The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Latest Episodes:

David Duchovny: Dream Song 1 by John Berryman Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Dream Song 1 by John Berryman, with special guest David Duchovny. You know him from his breakout role as Fox Mulder on The X-Files, as well as appearances on other hit series like Californication and Twin Peaks.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, David shares… “Every day is a loss. We can focus on love and focus on positives, but the fact is we're living in time, and things are being stripped away from us constantly. And it can lead to either depression or to valuing things — it just depends on your psychology, your worldview, the rigorousness of your yearning to want to be on the positive side of things and not depress yourself too much.”

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

1333: [encore] Crossing the Line by E. Ethelbert Miller Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Crossing the Line by E. Ethelbert Miller.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem reads to me like a love poem, a tribute, to a long friendship. It reminds me that part of how we know ourselves is through the people who know us best, and who have loved us through our changes.”

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

1430: [encore] Earth Shovel by Dan Albergotti Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Earth Shovel by Dan Albergotti.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem, which looks at the fragility of our planet, begins with two epigraphs. One is from American astronomer Carl Sagan, from his book Pale Blue Dot. The other is the famous line from politician Michael Steele.”

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

1359: [encore] Lotioning My Mother’s Back by Ama Codjoe Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Lotioning My Mother’s Back by Ama Codjoe.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “The world feels like a hard place right now—a not very soft and tender place. In times that feel difficult, it’s tempting to retreat, to harden ourselves, to “numb out.” But I think, more and more, that tenderness is what we need—toward one another, and toward ourselves. We need touch. We need connection. We need soft places to land. We need to hold on to one another.”

Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

[encore] 1501: at the baggage claim in JFK by Lo Naylor Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is at the baggage claim in JFK by Lo Naylor. This episode was originally released on April 24, 2026.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “When I’m preparing for a multi-city book tour, I’m not nervous about reading in front of people or answering questions or finding my way around a strange place. I’m nervous about getting where I’m going. And with somewhat regular government shutdowns impacting TSA these days, those nerves aren’t coming from nowhere! But there are so many beautiful moments in airports, if you pay attention: parents comforting children, or occupying them with silly games; couples excited to be going on a trip together; teams of uniformed student athletes traveling to, or from, a big game.”

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

[encore] 1445: Hackberry by Cecily Parks Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Hackberry by Cecily Parks. This episode was originally released on January 29, 2026.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem is a kind of love poem—to a beloved tree, and to the sense of home it created.”

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

[encore] 1568: Panegyric by Leila Farjami Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Panegyric by Leila Farjami. This episode was originally released on July 28, 2026.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Poems that engage with war and grief are texts that communicate to us in ways that news articles about war, and loss, and grief cannot. An article might tell us what happened, who died, how many casualties there were. It should provide facts as to who, what, where, when, and how. It might even attempt the why. But a poem sings to us. A poem sits with us. Holds us, even.”

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

[encore] 1507: How to Dress a Star by Nicholas Goodly Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is How to Dress a Star by Nicholas Goodly. This episode was originally released on May 4, 2026.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem reminds me to feel tenderness toward the earlier versions of me. It reminds me that we should acknowledge our past selves more. Just think of what earlier versions of you were able to endure. Bless them for that.”

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

[encore] 1347: Animal Prudence by Kathy Fagan Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is Animal Prudence by Kathy Fagan. This episode was originally released on September 8, 2025.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem is a favorite of mine for its associative leaps—the way it carries us from image to image, memory to memory. I admire the way it uses the language we encounter in our lives to make those leaps: road signs, the names of streets and flowers, the lists we find in our pockets.”

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

[encore] 1336: I Find Myself Defending Pigeons by Keith S. Wilson Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

Today’s poem is I Find Myself Defending Pigeons by Keith S. Wilson. This episode was originally released on August 22, 2025.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “One thing I love about poems is how they give us the opportunity to take our time, to dial in, to look and listen closely. Not everything screams to be noticed. Some things barely whisper! Or they might just squawk or coo now and then.”

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected