In Leanne O’Sullivan’s poem “ Leaving Early ,” the poet writes to her ill husband, entrusting him into the care of a nurse named Fionnuala. As the novel coronavirus sweeps the globe, many of us can’t physically be there for loved ones who are sick. Instead, it is the health care workers — and all involved in the health care system — who are tirelessly present, caring for others in spite of exhaustion and the risk it brings to their own wellbeing. We offer this episode of Poetry Unbound in profou...
Apr 03, 2020•12 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Poetry Unbound will be back with new episodes this fall. We’re so grateful to those who welcomed the podcast into their lives, and we’d love to hear more about your listening experience. What did you love? What can we improve? And what poetry, poets, or topics would you like to hear host Pádraig Ó Tuama talk about? Take the short survey at onbeing.org/pusurvey .
Mar 23, 2020•1 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Emily Dickinson’s poem “1383” honors the friendships that endure across time, circumstance, and even misunderstanding. Akin to fire, the connections in these friendships may be strong enough to burn or hurt us, but Dickinson acknowledges that their light continues to draw us in regardless. After listening, we invite you to reflect on this question: Think about a friendship that has remained steady for you across the years, even as both of you have changed. Why do you think your relationship has ...
Mar 20, 2020•7 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Raymond Antrobus’s poem “ Miami Airport ” bears witness to the disempowerment that comes when you’re not believed. The voice of the poet is absent, and all we hear is an interrogator seeking to disrupt and displace. This space of suspicion creates anxiety, transporting us to the places and times when someone has questioned the truth of our story. A question to reflect on after you listen: When have you felt disempowered by questions about yourself? Did you find your voice again? How? About the P...
Mar 16, 2020•10 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Patrick Kavanagh’s poem “ The One ” is about seeing beauty in the ordinary places of home. One of Ireland’s most famous poets, Kavanagh grew up in rural County Monaghan and moved to Dublin as a young man. This poem revisits the boglands of his home, which he once hated but came to love. A question to reflect on after you listen: Think about where you’re from. How has your understanding of it changed over time? About the Poet: Patrick Kavanagh was a prominent Irish poet and writer who died in 196...
Mar 13, 2020•8 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Ali Cobby Eckermann’s poem “ Kulila ” insists on remembering as a moral act. Through the poem, the Aboriginal poet mourns the loss of Indigenous cultures in Australia and how they have been damaged and changed by colonization. Cobby Eckermann calls her readers to a place of listening and lament as a way to keep alive the memory of who we are and who we could’ve been. A question to reflect on after you listen: What in your culture or community needs to be lamented, honored, and told? About the Po...
Mar 09, 2020•9 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Kei Miller’s poem “ Book of Genesis ” asks us to imagine a God who makes things spring into life specifically for us. Just as the poet of Genesis proclaims, “Let there be,” Miller wonders what freedom and flourishing we’d find in imagining a “Let” pronounced not for the person others say we should be, but for the person we are. A question to reflect on after you listen: How can you begin to let yourself flourish today, just as you are? About the Poet: Kei Miller is a professor of English and cre...
Mar 06, 2020•6 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Lemn Sissay’s poem “ Some Things I Like ” celebrates what we might consider discardable — like cold tea, ash trays, and even people. Raising a joyous toast to the forgotten and the forgettable, Sissay recognizes the power we give to what we pay attention to and invites us to look anew at all that has been undervalued. A question to reflect on after you listen: What is something you like that others may not value in the same way? About the Poet: Lemn Sissay is a poet, playwright, and broadcaster....
Mar 02, 2020•10 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Joy Harjo’s poem “ Praise the Rain ” makes space to appreciate all the nuances of our lives. Echoing Rumi’s poem “The Guest House,” she asks us to be present to this moment — the crazy or the sad, the beginning or the end — to greet it all with the powerful word: “Praise.” A question to reflect on after you listen: What can you praise today? About the Poet: Joy Harjo is the 23rd poet laureate of the United States and a writer of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. She has written nine books of poetry, ...
Feb 28, 2020•7 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Ross Gay’s poem “ Ode to Buttoning and Unbuttoning My Shirt ” uses an everyday task to examine what is made and unmade in small moments. He imagines his fingers opening and closing things, like buttons, the eyes of a dead person, relationships. In doing so, the poem asks us to simply pay attention, today, to what we’re doing with our hands — to understand them as intimate pathways into the stories of our bodies and the stories of our lives. A question to reflect on after you listen: What have yo...
Feb 24, 2020•9 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Allison Funk’s poem “ The Prodigal’s Mother Speaks to God ” tells the age-old story of The Prodigal Son through a new voice: the unnamed woman of the parable. This woman is truthful, wise, and loving. She knows the dedications and limitations of love. She seeks to see clearly, even though it’s hard to see clearly. A question to reflect on after you listen: When has love been complicated for you? About the Poet: Allison Funk is a distinguished professor of English at Southern Illinois University ...
Feb 21, 2020•8 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Jane Mead’s “ Substance Abuse Trial ” is set in a courtroom where a daughter hears her father’s name mispronounced at his trial. As she watches this, she wishes that the court could see the fullness of her father and his story — to bear witness to him as a human being, defined by much more than his addiction. A question to reflect on after you listen: When was a time when you were judged based on a mistake you made, rather than the fullness of who you are? About the Poet: Jane Mead authored five...
Feb 17, 2020•9 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Ocean Vuong’s poem “ Seventh Circle of Earth ” is an homage to the love and intimacy shared by Michael Humphrey and Clayton Capshaw, a gay couple who were murdered in their home in Dallas, Texas. In the midst of recognizing the violence and threat LGBTQI communities face, the poem holds space for tenderness — and honors their love. A question to reflect on after you listen: What examples have you seen of love and power enacted, even in the face of threat? About the poet: Ocean Vuong is an assist...
Feb 14, 2020•12 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Tracy K. Smith’s poem “ Song ” is filled with observations of a loved person: their habits, the things they do when they think nobody is watching. Love is shown and celebrated in observing the small practices of another. A question to reflect on after you listen: What’s something small and quiet you’ve noticed about a loved one? About the poet: Tracy K. Smith is a professor of creative writing at Princeton University and the former poet laureate of the United States. Her poetry collections inclu...
Feb 10, 2020•9 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Marie Howe’s poem “ My Mother’s Body ” is wise about age. In the poem, Marie’s mother is young enough to be Marie’s own daughter, and in this imagination there is wonder, understanding, and even forgiveness. A question to reflect on after you listen: Are there things that you have found easier to understand — or even forgive — as you’ve gotten older? About the poet: Marie Howe is a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. She’s published four collections of poetry: What the Living Do , The G...
Feb 07, 2020•8 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Faisal Mohyuddin’s poem “ Prayer ” describes a practice of devotion. It’s a spacious and hospitable poem, filled with references to ritual and the body, and an invitation to share in the warm light of a household lamp. A question to reflect on after you listen: What rituals do you use to anchor yourself? About the poet: Faisal Mohyuddin is a writer, artist, and educator. He is the author of The Displaced Children of Displaced Children , winner of the 2017 Sexton Prize in Poetry and a 2018 Summer...
Feb 03, 2020•9 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s poem “ On Listening to Your Teacher Take Attendance ” offers a way to ground yourself during vulnerable moments. The poet gathers strength from being loved, which helps her in times of displacement. A question to reflect on after you listen: What stories do you hold on to when you're feeling displaced? About the poet: Aimee Nezhukumatathil is a professor of English and creative writing in the MFA program at the University of Mississippi. She also serves as the poetry edit...
Jan 31, 2020•8 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Brad Aaron Modlin’s poem “What You Missed That Day You Were Absent from Fourth Grade” speaks of learning to grow up by yourself. The poet wonders what life lessons would look like if they could be taught by a teacher; a good teacher, a teacher like Mrs. Nelson. A question to reflect on after you listen: What life lessons did you have to learn by yourself? About the poet: Brad Aaron Modlin is the Reynolds Endowed Chair of Creative Writing at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He holds a PhD f...
Jan 27, 2020•8 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Poetry Unbound features an immersive exploration of a single poem, guided by Pádraig Ó Tuama. Short and unhurried; contemplative and energizing. Proudly produced by On Being Studios. Anchor your week with new episodes on Monday and Friday, beginning January 27. This season features poetry from a diverse cast of poets: current and former poets laureate Joy Harjo and Tracy K. Smith; T.S. Eliot Prize winner Ocean Vuong; classic poets like Emily Dickinson and Patrick Kavanagh; spoken-word artists li...
Dec 23, 2019•1 min•Season 1Ep. 1
