Poetry Unbound
Episodes
Help Shape the Next Season of Poetry Unbound
23 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 he...
Emily Dickinson — 1383
20 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Emily Dickinson’s poem “1383” honors the friendships that endure across time, circumstance, and even misunderstanding. Akin to fire, the connect...
Raymond Antrobus — Miami Airport
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Raymond Antrobus’s poem “Miami Airport” bears witness to the disempowerment that comes when you’re not believed. The voice of the poet is abse...
Patrick Kavanagh — The One
13 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Ali Cobby Eckermann — Kulila
09 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ali Cobby Eckermann’s poem “Kulila” insists on remembering as a moral act. Through the poem, the Aboriginal poet mourns the loss of Indigenous c...
Kei Miller — Book of Genesis
06 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Lemn Sissay — Some Things I Like
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Lemn Sissay’s poem “Some Things I Like” celebrates what we might consider discardable — like cold tea, ash trays, and even people. Raising a j...
Joy Harjo — Praise the Rain
28 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Ross Gay — Ode to Buttoning and Unbuttoning My Shirt
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 imagin...
Allison Funk — The Prodigal’s Mother Speaks to God
21 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 o...
Jane Mead — Substance Abuse Trial
17 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Ocean Vuong — Seventh Circle of Earth
14 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Tracy K. Smith — Song
10 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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....
Marie Howe — My Mother’s Body
07 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 thi...
Faisal Mohyuddin — Prayer
03 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Faisal Mohyuddin’s poem “Prayer” describes a practice of devotion. It’s a spacious and hospitable poem, filled with references to ritual and t...
Aimee Nezhukumatathil — On Listening to Your Teacher Take Attendance
31 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s poem “On Listening to Your Teacher Take Attendance” offers a way to ground yourself during vulnerable moments. The poet ...
Brad Aaron Modlin — What You Missed That Day You Were Absent from Fourth Grade
27 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 wonder...
Welcome to Poetry Unbound
23 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Poetry Unbound features an immersive exploration of a single poem, guided by Pádraig Ó Tuama. Short and unhurried; contemplative and energizing. Pro...