
1421: My 1994 by Stephanie Burt
12/26/2025 | 5 mins.
Today’s poem is My 1994 by Stephanie Burt. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “In 1994 I was seventeen: my daughter’s age! I remember that as a time when I was trying to figure out who I was. But to some degree we’re always trying to figure that out, aren’t we?” Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

1420: Losing the Band by Ashley D. Escobar
12/25/2025 | 5 mins.
Today’s poem is Losing the Band by Ashley D. Escobar.The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “It’s Christmas, and though I’ll see a lot of people I love today, I won’t see everyone I love. That’s the thing about traditions. They put us in certain places with certain people, and we’re lucky for that, but only so many people can fit into a living room or around a dining table. Only so many of our loved ones live close by or can travel to us for the holidays. There are some people we just…miss.” Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

1419: Ladies' Arm Wrestling Match at the Blue Moon Diner by Jenny Johnson
12/24/2025 | 5 mins.
Today’s poem is Ladies' Arm Wrestling Match at the Blue Moon Diner by Jenny Johnson. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem begins with a little advice that made me smile because of its sauciness, and the poem unfolds into such a rich, detailed portrait — not a portrait of a lady, but of ladies, shedding old expectations and claiming new power.” Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

1418: Whitetail in the Rain Moving About by Melissa Ginsburg
12/23/2025 | 5 mins.
Today’s poem is Whitetail in the Rain Moving About by Melissa Ginsburg.The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem moves quietly and deliberately, the way a cautious deer might walk from the shelter of the woods into a clearing. I love the sounds of this poem, and its pacing.” Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

1417: My Mother's Love by James Allen Hall
12/22/2025 | 6 mins.
Today’s poem is My Mother's Love by James Allen Hall. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “Today’s poem is a testament to a mother’s love and courage and fierce protection. Maybe the real measure of a person is what they do for people — or creatures — who cannot do anything for them in return. Love is not transactional. Love, like poetry, is a gift economy.” Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp



The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily