Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill — Ceist na Teangan (The Language Issue)

Aimee Nezhukumatathil — On Listening to Your Teacher Take Attendance: 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? by Poetry Unbound

8 min listen

Ali Cobby Eckermann — Kulila: 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? by Poetry Unbound

9 min listen

Kei Miller — Book of Genesis: 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? by Poetry Unbound

6 min listen

Brad Aaron Modlin — What You Missed That Day You Were Absent from Fourth Grade: 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? by Poetry Unbound

8 min listen

Faisal Mohyuddin — Prayer: 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? by Poetry Unbound

9 min listen

Marie Howe — My Mother’s Body: 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? by Poetry Unbound

8 min listen

Welcome to Poetry Unbound: Poetry Unbound features an immersive exploration of a single poem, guided by Pádraig Ó Tuama. Short and unhurried; contemplative and energizing. Anchor your week with new episodes on Monday and Friday, beginning January 27. Season one 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 like Raymond Antrobus; and more. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Overcast, or wherever you find your podcasts. by Poetry Unbound

1 min listen

Natasha Trethewey — Miscegenation by Poetry Unbound

11 min listen

Allison Funk — The Prodigal’s Mother Speaks to God: 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? by Poetry Unbound

8 min listen

Tracy K. Smith — Song: 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? by Poetry Unbound

9 min listen

Raymond Antrobus — Miami Airport: 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? by Poetry Unbound

10 min listen

Patrick Kavanagh — The One: 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? by Poetry Unbound

8 min listen

Ocean Vuong — Seventh Circle of Earth: 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? by Poetry Unbound

12 min listen

Jane Mead — Substance Abuse Trial: 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? by Poetry Unbound

9 min listen

Ross Gay — Ode to Buttoning and Unbuttoning My Shirt: 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 you done with your hands today? What are you opening? What are you closing? by Poetry Unbound

9 min listen

Layli Long Soldier — WHEREAS my eyes land on the shoreline: When you feel like crying, do you cry? Or do you stifle it? Why? The U.S. Congress 2009 “Joint resolution to acknowledge a long history of official depredations and ill-conceived policies by the Federal Government regarding Indian tribes” stated “Whereas the arrival of Europeans in North America opened a new chapter in the history of Native Peoples.” Layli Long Soldier wrote poems in response to this resolution and its non-consultative process. In this poem, she speaks of the need to let griefs and laments be heard and acknowledged. by Poetry Unbound

17 min listen

Poetry Unbound — Season 2 Trailer: Poetry Unbound with host Pádraig Ó Tuama is back on Monday, Sept. 28. Featured poets in this season include Lucille Clifton, James Wright, Natasha Trethewey, Christian Wiman, Layli Long Soldier and more. New episodes released every Monday and Friday through the fall. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Overcast, or wherever you listen. by Poetry Unbound

2 min listen

Seán Hewitt — Suibhne is wounded, and confesses: In times of isolation, what stories have you turned to for comfort? This poem is an exploration of isolation as seen through the mythical Irish character, Suibhne. Suibhne was cursed and lived a life on the move, a transitory isolation. In the midst of the sadness at all he’s missed, he also sees beauty — and he holds both sadness and appreciation together. by Poetry Unbound

13 min listen

Emily Dickinson — 1383: 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 endured? by Poetry Unbound

7 min listen

Ada Limón — Wonder Woman: What stories or myths bring you strength? This poem tells the story of a person living with invisible chronic pain who finds unexpected fortitude from a girl dressed as a superhero. Their encounter, “at the swell of the muddy Mississippi,” doesn’t have a fantasy ending, but instead finds strength and glory in bodies and myth. by Poetry Unbound

16 min listen

Lemn Sissay — Some Things I Like: 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? by Poetry Unbound

10 min listen

Joy Harjo — Praise the Rain: 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? by Poetry Unbound

7 min listen

Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill — Ceist na Teangan (The Language Issue): Are there languages that once were spoken in your family that are not anymore? What caused those changes? This poem considers the plight of a language, how it — like the child Moses in the biblical story of the Exodus — is vulnerable, and might be in need of someone like the Pharaoh’s daughter to nurture it. In considering the precarious situation of many lesser-spoken languages, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill casts a story of language preservation through the archetype of women helping women in ancient texts. by Poetry Unbound

13 min listen

Help Shape the Next Season of Poetry Unbound: 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. by Poetry Unbound

1 min listen

James Wright — A Blessing: Is there a moment of beauty you can recall that’s like a blessing for you? This poem takes place at twilight in a field just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota, where the poet and a friend encounter two ponies who come “gladly out of the willows / To welcome my friend and me.” by Poetry Unbound

12 min listen

Gregory Pardlo — Wishing Well: What’s a chance encounter in a city that’s never left you? In this poem the speaker is asked a question by a stranger while standing near the water outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. “Pardon me Old School he / says you know is this a wishing well?” He initially brushes off the stranger, but something happens: a shared coin, a well, a wish that is answered as it is made. by Poetry Unbound

16 min listen

Zaffar Kunial — The Word: Have you ever projected your own awkwardness onto someone else? How did you do it? And how would you address them now? This poem recalls how, as a young adult, Zaffar Kunial judged his immigrant father’s way of speaking English. A poem that’s filled with adolescence as with awkward parental relationships, it also speaks of his yearning to fit in, to enjoy his own life. Shame features in this poem — the younger poet had been ashamed of his father’s grammar, but now, with time, he seems ashamed to have been that son. by Poetry Unbound

12 min listen

Paul Tran — The Cave: What have you had to explore on your own? What, or who, helped? This poem explores the archetype of the cave — a cave that calls, a cave that contains secrets and perhaps even information. “Someone standing at the mouth had / the idea to enter. To go further / than light or language could / go.” The poem manages — at once — to convey the bravery of exploration and the solitude and possibility that can accompany such journeys. by Poetry Unbound

12 min listen

Meleika Gesa-Fatafehi — Say My Name: What is the story of your name? In this poem, the poet calls on place, ancestors, and history to bear witness to the dignity of their name. They recalls how their ancestors “acknowledged my roots grew in two / places” and how their name “is the definition of resilience.” With Black/Indigenous, Pasifika, and West Asian heritage, the poet speaks to those who mispronounce their name: “Say it right or don’t say it at all / for I am Meleika.” by Poetry Unbound

14 min listen

Leanne O'Sullivan — Leaving Early: 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 profound gratitude toward all who are working in health care right now. by Poetry Unbound

12 min listen

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Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill — Ceist na Teangan (The Language Issue)

Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill — Ceist na Teangan (The Language Issue)

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