Podcasts about poem

ROMAN EXCEPTIONALISM VS. HUMAN TRAGEDY Colleagues Scott McGill and Susanna Wright. They discuss whether the Aeneid justifies Roman empire or tells a human story. McGill argues the poem survives because it creates sympathy for antagonists like Dido and Turnus. They explore how Virgil portrays the costs of empire and Aeneas's rage, complicating the narrative of Augustan propaganda. NUMBER 12

THE AENEID'S PLOT AND HOMERIC INFLUENCES Colleagues Scott McGill and Susanna Wright. McGill and Wright summarize the plot, from Troy's destruction to the war in Italy. They analyze Virgil's dialogue with Homer, noting how the poem's opening words invoke both the Iliad's warfare and the Odyssey's wanderings. They also highlight the terrifying, visual nature of Virgil's depiction of the underworld. NUMBER 11

Analysis of "The Cold Within" By James Patrick Kinney I provide a monologue I recorded live, where I introduced the poem and connect it to today's current social and humanitarian state. Following that I do an oral interpretation of the poem with an original music track called "The Chill" playing in the background.*************************************************************************(*** The following full analysis of "The Cold Within" By James Patrick Kinney is provided by "AI").*************************************************************************"The Cold Within" by James Patrick Kinney is a mid-1960s narrative poem that serves as a powerful allegory for the destructive nature of human prejudice. It depicts six individuals trapped in "bleak and bitter cold," each holding a stick of wood that could sustain a dying fire and save their lives. However, they all freeze to death because their internal biases—racism, classism, religious intolerance, and greed—prevent them from sharing their resources. The Characters and Their Prejudices - Each of the six "humans" (a word Kinney uses to emphasize their universal humanity) represents a specific societal divide: The Racist (White): Refuses to share their wood because they see a Black man in the group.The Bigot (Religious): Withholds their wood because someone else is not of their "church."The Poor Man: Refuses to help the "idle rich," viewing them as unworthy of his meager resource.The Rich Man: Obsesses over protecting his wealth from the "lazy shiftless poor" and keeps his stick.The Black Man: Seeks revenge for past injustices by withholding his wood to "spite the white."The Opportunist: Only gives to those who give to him, treating survival as a cynical "game." Core Themes -Selfishness vs. Survival: The poem illustrates that holding onto personal resources out of spite or greed leads to collective ruin.The "Cold Within": This central metaphor refers to the lack of warmth, empathy, and compassion in the human heart. The poem concludes that the characters did not die from the external cold, but from the spiritual coldness of their own hearts.Human Sin: Kinney explicitly labels their refusal to share as "proof of human sin," drawing on Christian parables of charity and self-sacrifice. Symbolism:The Dying Fire: Represents the "common good" or the collective spirit of humanity.The Sticks of Wood: Represent the individual's abilities, resources, or potential for kindness.Irony: The ultimate irony is that by trying to withhold resources from others they disliked, the characters guaranteed their own death.

Christmas 2025 Poem by Evangelist Debbie Perrin entitled Jesus, the Light of the World.

We are sticking with the holiday theme in this episode where we read a holiday poem! I promise you, you have not heard this poem yet! Is it going to be a new classic? Probably! Tell people you heard it first!We hope you enjoy this holiday season and spend time with people you love! Why don't you gather around a fire, make some hot cocoa and relax while we read you a new STAPLE in holiday entertainment.Grab your favorite blanket, warm up a hot cup of apple cider and get Nostalgic with us!Make sure to leave us a 5 star review, and tell a friend about the show. If you want to suggest a topic for an upcoming show email us at NotableNostalgia90@Gmail.com or find us at Facebook.com/NotableNostalgiaThanks for listening Nostalgia Nerds!

Recorded by David Wojahn for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on December 23, 2025. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.poets.org⁠

A GREAT Flashback Show from December 2022, ENJOY!! Monday's Chief Navigator and Avid Author Shonda Sinclair joins The Old Man to discussed the Christmas Poem written by Clement Clark Moore, "A Visit from St. Nicholas" or as it is more commonly referred and known to as "Twas the Night Before Christmas". We read the poem and talked about the history and the author. It is becoming a forgotten source of story telling during the Christmas Holiday, sitting down with the Family and reading this Poem. This is something we need to get back to as a society, spending time sharing stories and poems that ignite the imaginations of people young and old. A well read people with a wild imagination are the fuel for growth. Have a GREAT Monday! Twelve more days till Christmas!!!! Join us tomorrow when Russ Brown is in the Navigator's Chair!! Later gators!! *Get everything you need to start your own successful podcast on Podbean here: https://www.podbean.com/tomspodcastPBFree   *Visit our webpage where you can catch up on Current / Past Episodes: www.theoldmanspodcast.com     *Contact us at: theoldmanspodcast@gmail.com     Checkout and Follow the Writings of Shonda Sinclair here: Roaming the Road (of Life):https://www.shondasinclair.com/   *TOMPodcast Music Shows: https://www.mixcloud.com/TOMPodcast/   Check into Podcast Overlord on Twitter and at https://overlordshop.com/store to see how they can help get your Podcast footprint on twitter to grow.  

There's a tradition among poets to write a poem to put inside the Christmas cards they send. So, the BBC World Service has commissioned one specially from the poet, dramatist and novelist, Michael Symmons Roberts whose Christian faith is important to his identity and work. But his art is not a direct expression of this, and instead he follows the poet Emily Dickinson's instruction to ‘Tell all the truth but tell it slant'.Michael has just become a grandfather, so feels keenly the happiness of the arrival of a cherished child, creating a parallel between his own life and the Christmas story of the birth of Jesus. For In the Studio Julian May follows Michael's creative process as he grapples huge spiritual and personal themes – distilling them to a length which can fit on a Christmas card: a daunting but joyful task.The programme begins with London's Oxford Street, where consumerism triggers preparations a full three months before Christmas - and ends with the sealing of the Christmas cards before they are popped into the post box.

Recorded by Talvikki Ansel for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on December 22, 2025. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.poets.org⁠

Cindy has a spooky poem included in this week's update!  Enjoy!Also, keep May 1st, 2026 marked on your calendar for an in person ghost tour in Columbus, OH with Cindy!  We'll even go to a local restaurant afterwards to have a few drinks and chat!  What a spooky way to celebrate Half-O-Ween! Send us a textSupport the showClick here to subscribe to the monthly bonus story episodes! True Hauntings4694 Cemetery Rd #376Hilliard, OH 43026 Parade of Nightmares by Cynthia Seer available on AmazonTrue Hauntings Instagram True Hauntings FaceBook GroupEmail - Cynthia@TrueHauntings.com Blog - True Hauntings Website True Hauntings YouTube

Reading from my new book Wildflowers Praying at Midnight, released December, 2025. This piece begins with: Ukuzola. Calm now. Here is our medicine.... All of my books are available at booksellers worldwide and at my website. Birthing Life personal phone sessions, book specials, Substack journal, apparel, poetic keynotes and talks, and book/poetry readings are available at my website. Thank you for posting your copies and readings of my books and writings, tagging #jaiyajohn, encouraging others to purchase, and sharing online book reviews. My whole heart cries Grateful. jaiyajohn.com...                   Send us a textSupport the show

Recorded by Academy of American Poets staff for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on December 21, 2025. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.poets.org⁠

The Poem of the Man God is a retelling of the Gospel story of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the private revelations of Maria Valtorta. In this episode, we see Jesus and the Apostles on Preparation Day: in the streets of Jerusalem. Original music by Angela Marie (Mohammed). Messiah. Savior. Passion of Christ. Religion. Wisdom. Miracles. Catholic Christian Theology. Apostles. Disciples. Believers. Followers. Early Church. Communion. Healing. Suffering Sacrifice. New Testament.

Recorded by Academy of American Poets staff for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on December 20, 2025. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.poets.org⁠

The Poem of the Man God is a retelling of the Gospel story of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the private revelations of Maria Valtorta. In this episode, we see Jesus and the Apostles at the Temple on Preparation Day. Original music by Angela Marie (Mohammed). Messiah. Savior. Passion of Christ. Religion. Wisdom. Miracles. Catholic Christian Theology. Apostles. Disciples. Believers. Followers. Early Church. Communion. Healing. Suffering Sacrifice. New Testament.

Marie Howe's poetry shimmers with the keen attention she pays to language: the language of the body (both the human body and “the beautiful body of the world”), of people's everyday speech, and of religious myth. We are thrilled to offer this conversation between Pádraig and Marie, recorded as an online component of the Greenbelt Festival in England in 2025. Marie reads several poems, and together, they discuss Mary Magdalene as complex everywoman, the “eternal energy” of dead loved ones that fills Marie's life and work, and her current efforts to listen to what the Earth is saying to us.    We invite you to subscribe to Pádraig's weekly Poetry Unbound Substack, read the Poetry Unbound books and his newest work, Kitchen Hymns, or listen to all our Poetry Unbound episodes.  Marie Howe is the former Poet Laureate of New York and the author of five collections of poetry, including Magdalene, The Kingdom of Ordinary Time, and What the Living Do. She won the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry for her 2025 New and Selected Poems, published in the US by W .W. Norton. The same book is published in the UK as What the Earth Seemed to Say by Bloodaxe Books. Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As the Church concludes the Jubilee Year of Hope, the hosts discuss the profound significance of hope in the Christian life. They explain that hope is more than just a feel-good sentiment, highlighting its roots as a theological virtue that is central to overcoming adversity and recognizing God's hand in the midst of trials. They offer practical ways to cultivate this virtue day by day, face unavoidable suffering with faith, and keep hope alive in the dark times. This conversation emphasizes that true hope is anchored in the character and promises of God, surpassing mere human optimism. 00:00 Introduction to Hope 00:13 The Theological Virtues 01:12 A Poem on Hope 03:01 Hope in Practice 4:34 Hope Amidst Anxiety 07:43 Hope as a Choice 17:44 Hope and Suffering 24:54 Hope Beyond This Life 35:46 Acknowledging Discouragement and Hopelessness 36:30 Signs of Lacking Hope 37:25 The Importance of Dreaming with God 38:58 Living with Hope and Avoiding Cynicism 41:26 Balancing Grief and Hope 59:51 Daily Habits to Cultivate Hope 01:05:27 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Recorded by Michael Dickman for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on December 19, 2025. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.poets.org⁠

Testament, beatboxer, rapper and writer - presents a festive Adverb (complete with a yuletide salad battle), with his guests the former Scottish Makar Jackie Kay, poetic legend John Hegley, Mercury prize nominated folk singer Sam Lee, as well as satirical supremo Brian Bilston.They bring iconic robins, soul stirring music, poetic Christmas questions, and quirky Yule traditions to an audience in the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra Hall in Salford.Brian Bilston's very funny books include 'You Took the Last Bus Home', and 'Alexa, what is there to know about love'? His latest book is called ‘A Poem for Every Question'. He shares new poems and poems from his book ‘And so this is Christmas':John Hegley brings surreal festive interaction and poignantly playful poems to the Adverb. He also celebrates a playful December celery battle recorded in the letters of Romantic poet John Keats.Sam Lee's album is ‘Songdreaming' – he's joined by pianist James Keay to perform songs that sing us deep into this time of year. Sam organises 'Singing with Nightingale' events, so we find out where nightingales go for Christmas.Jackie Kay's latest book is 'May Day' - she shares a poem by one of her favourite poets Norman McCaig - which stars a robin - and tender winter poems from her collections.

The Poem of the Man God is a retelling of the Gospel story of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the private revelations of Maria Valtorta. In this episode, we see Jesus and the Apostles on the the morning of Preparation Day. Original music by Angela Marie (Mohammed). Messiah. Savior. Passion of Christ. Religion. Wisdom. Miracles. Catholic Christian Theology. Apostles. Disciples. Believers. Followers. Early Church. Communion. Healing. Suffering Sacrifice. New Testament.

Recorded by Dalia Taha and Sara Elkamel for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on December 18, 2025. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.poets.org⁠

Daily Quote To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing and be nothing. (Elbert Hubbard) Poem of the Day Winter William Shakespeare Beauty of Words 常德的船 沈从文

Recorded by Aliki Barnstone for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on December 17, 2025. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.poets.org⁠

Join Steve Stockton for a look at how a classic poem perhaps relates to some missing child cases.  Poem "The Stolen Child" by W.B. YeatsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/missing-persons-mysteries--5624803/support.

Recorded by Yahya Frederickson for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on December 16, 2025. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.poets.org⁠

Daily Quote Not I - not anyone else, can travel that road for you, You must travel it for yourself. (Walt Whitman) Poem of the Day The First Snow James Russell Lowell Beauty of Words A Double Barrelled Detective Story Mark Twain

Katie Lehman brings Emily Dickingon to readers in a new light with her poems: "Emily Dickinson's Lexicon."

A Chinese American poet, appointed the 25th U.S. Poet Laureate, reads his poems inspired by Zen practices.

Recorded by Chris Abani for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on December 15, 2025. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.poets.org⁠

In this intimate conversation, MaKshya Tolbert shares the "why" behind writing Shade as a place; explores loss, as a structure to see grief; the (devastating) consequences of wanting shade; and being invited into yourself. MaKshya practices poetry and placemaking in Virginia, where her grandmother raised her. She was the 2025 Art in Library Spaces Artist-in-Residence at the University of Virginia, 2024 New City Arts Fellowship Guest Curator, and serves on the Charlottesville Tree Commission (2022-present), including as 2024 Chair. Her debut book of poems, Shade is a place (winner of the 2024 National Poetry Series), meanders east-west along the City's Downtown Mall, seeking a sense of place amid the flux of the Mall's turning trees, landscape design, and one's inner life. She has received recent fellowship and residency support from Cave Canem, New City Arts, Lead to Life, the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts' Long-Term Ecological Reflections program (2024-26 Fireline Fellow), Community of Writers, Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, the University of Virginia, and the U.S.-Italy Fulbright Commission. Her recent poetry and prose can be found at Poem-a-Day, Emergence Magazine, Nightboat Books, and more. She is the 2025-2030 Associate Editor in Poetry for Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment (ISLE), published quarterly by Oxford University Press. In her free time, she is elsewhere—a place Eddie S. Glaude Jr. calls, "that physical or metaphorical place that affords the space to breathe."  You can connect with MaKshya at @processdaily on Instagram.  You may purchase Shade as a place, Penguin 2025, wherever books are sold. ------- Get Lauren's 10-Min Meditation for Grief to support you on your journey! This meditation is for you if you're looking to: Lower Stress, Increase your Peace, Connect to your Heart, and Give your energy back to Joy You can connect with Lauren on Instagram via @lauren.samay and @mymourningroutinepodcast, on Facebook @lauren.samay.coaching or through www.laurensamay.com If you are tuning in and finding value in these episodes, please take a moment to rate and review My Mourning Routine on Apple Podcasts-- it means so much and helps make a bigger, connecting splash in the podcasting pond!  

Recorded by Academy of American Poets staff for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on December 14, 2025. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.poets.org⁠

We're so glad you are here! Thanks for checking out Sunday's message!-- SUNDAY'S NOTES --The prophetic fulfillment in the conception and birth of Jesus testify to the miracle of God's power!But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf. Micah 5:2 NLTAt that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. Luke 2:1-7 NLTGod's has the power to do both the improbable and impossible according to His will and purpose. To presume we know how God should act is to mistrust His sovereign wisdom and love. Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36 NLTI pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else, not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. Ephesians 1:19-22 NLTTo believe God can't or doesn't do miracles today is to completely miss on the impact of His power and compassion! I dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. Lamentations 3:21- 25 NLTOur hope is forever in the compassion and power of our ever-present, all-knowing, miracle working Messiah!-POEM-Our merciful messiah came in a mangerWith hidden strength soon to be shown. Immanuel here to save and to heal,His power and presence, He came to make known. The God who created the stars and the heavensCreated my inner most being too. A universe so large it's hard to conceiveWith tiny electrons for creations glue.God's power is boundless, beyond descriptionHis love is vast, and yet intimately near. Awe and honor are owed to our SaviorStill He calls us to come, no reason to fear.This world is caught in a cosmic conflictThe fight is for every heart and soulThe prince of darkness, the architect of brokenKill, steal, and destroy his only goal. Our fallen world in the pangs of deathIncludes various hellish hurts and painMany are we in need of a miracle Exactly the reason Immanuel came. The babe born at Christmas is here to heal Discontentment, addiction, broken bodies and heartsHis sovereign discernment guides His compassionHis Grace and mercy never miss the mark. -------------------------------------------------Download the 828 Church app!To view our latest e-newsletter, the Midweek Momentum, and subscribe to our weekly updates, go here! https://linktr.ee/828church

We're so glad you are here! Thanks for checking out Sunday's message!-- SUNDAY'S NOTES --The prophetic fulfillment in the conception and birth of Jesus testify to the miracle of God's power!But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf. Micah 5:2 NLTAt that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. Luke 2:1-7 NLTGod's has the power to do both the improbable and impossible according to His will and purpose. To presume we know how God should act is to mistrust His sovereign wisdom and love. Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36 NLTI pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else, not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. Ephesians 1:19-22 NLTTo believe God can't or doesn't do miracles today is to completely miss on the impact of His power and compassion! I dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. Lamentations 3:21- 25 NLTOur hope is forever in the compassion and power of our ever-present, all-knowing, miracle working Messiah!-POEM-Our merciful messiah came in a mangerWith hidden strength soon to be shown. Immanuel here to save and to heal,His power and presence, He came to make known. The God who created the stars and the heavensCreated my inner most being too. A universe so large it's hard to conceiveWith tiny electrons for creations glue.God's power is boundless, beyond descriptionHis love is vast, and yet intimately near. Awe and honor are owed to our SaviorStill He calls us to come, no reason to fear.This world is caught in a cosmic conflictThe fight is for every heart and soulThe prince of darkness, the architect of brokenKill, steal, and destroy his only goal. Our fallen world in the pangs of deathIncludes various hellish hurts and painMany are we in need of a miracle Exactly the reason Immanuel came. The babe born at Christmas is here to heal Discontentment, addiction, broken bodies and heartsHis sovereign discernment guides His compassionHis Grace and mercy never miss the mark. -------------------------------------------------Download the 828 Church app!To view our latest e-newsletter, the Midweek Momentum, and subscribe to our weekly updates, go here! https://linktr.ee/828church

You're invited next September 20-26, 2026, to The Tender Harvest, a week-long retreat amidst the golden hues and organic bounty of the world-class Ballymaloe House in County Cork, Ireland. Each day will feature yoga, meditation, farm-to-table meals, and curated excursions—plus ample time for rest, self-nurturance, and imagination.__I awake to the murmur of a boy speaking to his slumbering father. All night long, the darkening stillness of December had settled over the house, and, as usual, our son had scampered down the hall just before dawn, burrowed under a breathing mound of blankets, and reached toward whichever one of us was nearest. “I love you so much,” I hear my child sigh as he tucks himself beneath the warm weight of his father's arm.I have no language to measure such a moment, ordinary though it may seem. I have only an attention born of it, a residue of tenderness reminding me that somehow –however improbable, fleeting, and marvelous – we are here together, and here at all.Later, diagonal rays of winter sunlight beam across the sky, a fact bright enough to leave an afterimage seared on the inside of my eyelids. Of this event, too, I keep only what impression remains: a momentary flash that lingers and softens.Which brings me to the medicine of tenderness—our capacity not just to intellectualize or conceptualize, but to feel the invisible textures of this living world. The word “tender” shares its etymological parent, the Latin word tendere–meaning “to extend outward or upward, to stretch toward or hold out, to offer; to direct toward, to aim toward”–with the verb “to tend,” in the sense of caring for, but also with “intention,” “attention,” and “tenders,” the small boats that carry people or goods from larger vessels to shore.A thruline here links the practices of intention and attention, guiding our consciousness toward what we care about, with a whole-bodied suppleness of presence. The metaphor of tender boats bridges the mutual nature of tenderness. How can one person's practice of tenderness bring another to shore in a gradual and reciprocal softening of nervous systems? How is it that when one person rests with awareness in the tender weight of their body, heart, and mind, it can signal to another that their bruises are safe from further harm?Ezra Klein recently shared an interview with Patti Smith, the iconic musician, writer, and visual artist—sometimes called the “godmother of punk”—who rejects those labels wholesale. With a shrug that suggests the humbler, deeper values of her practice, she says, “call me a worker.” I love her for that.Many moments resonate in their conversation, but none so much as when she likens a good poem to a teardrop: “If you're thirsty and you get that drop of water, it suddenly becomes the most welcome thing in the world.” My mind catches on what kind of thirst—what invisible needfulness—a good poem can satisfy. This is not the thirst of the yarrow or migrating whitethroat, not even the thirst of the bear in autumn. It seems a uniquely human thirst that calls out for the sincerity of real art.On the subject of death and spiritual thirst, Mary Oliver wrote: “Who knows what will finally happen or where I will be sent, yet already I have given a great many things away, expecting to be told to pack nothing, except the prayers which, with this thirst, I am slowly learning.”I believe this kind of thirst, of the nature of wanting to understand and be nourished by the mystery of our existence—by the grace of what it means that we are alive and able to wonder at the circumstances of our aliveness—dwells somewhere beneath the surface of every human being. This thirst lives in the unseen currents of heartache, uncertainty, and longing that flow like water beneath a frozen river.According to fellow poet Jane Hirshfield, Galway Kinnell once called “Tenderness” “the secret title of every good poem.” That line, for me, speaks to the particular mechanism within poetry that can meet such thirst. Tenderness is the dynamic tension between bearing witness to our shared fragility and strengthening our capacity for wholehearted presence and connection with ourselves and each other. It is the alchemy of kindness that can distill cold facts into feelings, thaw a hardened heart, and show us how we're not alone. Like a teardrop, a gesture of tenderness can be small and exact, yet it can quench us with vital sustenance and healing.Strangely, the image of a teardrop has seeped into my morning practice like a quiet teaching. As I reach for some nearby poem, my mind skidding over the uneven terrain of the hours ahead, I pause to take a breath, and it occurs to me: I can carry a teardrop inside this day. Most authentic mindfulness practices seem strange to the outer gaze, but their effectiveness lies in the specificity and earnestness with which we orient toward them. So, here it is: a useful practice, an invisible resource to mind my life. One way I am learning to soften.__+ Join me every month for movement + meditation exclusively for paid supporters of The Guest House. Our next practice will be live on Thursday, December 18, at 9 am MT / 11 am ET, and will be shared via replay soon thereafter.+ Back to a regular studio class! Join me at YogaSource in Santa Fe every Wednesday morning, 9-10:15 am MT / 11 am-12:15 pm ET for Dynamic Practice. This class is live and not recorded. Join in-person or virtually from home. Register directly through the studio here.+ Two deeply envisioned retreats in the year to come: first at Beyul Retreat in the pristine wilderness surrounding Aspen, Colorado, for an extended Memorial Day weekend, May 21-25, 2026; then at world-class Ballymaloe House in County Cork, Ireland, September 20-26, 2026. All the details here.Together, we are making sense of being human in an era of radical change. Your presence here matters. Thank you for reading, sharing, ‘heart'ing, commenting, and subscribing to The Guest House. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shawnparell.substack.com/subscribe

Daily Quote 不积跬步，无以至千里；不积小流，无以成江海。（《荀子•劝学》） Poem of the Day Of Mere Being Wallace Stevens Beauty of Words 阳光的味道 林清玄

Recorded by Academy of American Poets staff for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on December 13, 2025. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.poets.org⁠

Daily Quote The true triumph of reason is that it enables us to get along with those who do not possess it. (Voltaire) Poem of the Day Shall earth no more inspire thee By Emily Brontë Beauty of Words 落叶 王蒙

Recorded by H. R. Webster for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on December 11, 2025. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.poets.org⁠

Recorded by Lawrence Joseph for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on December 11, 2025. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.poets.org⁠

T. S. EliotFour QuartetsFrom "Little Gidding"VWhat we call the beginning is often the endAnd to make an end is to make a beginning.The end is where we start from.…With the drawing of this Love and the voice of this CallingWe shall not cease from explorationAnd the end of all our exploringWill be to arrive where we startedAnd know the place for the first time.Through the unknown, remembered gateWhen the last of earth left to discoverIs that which was the beginning;At the source of the longest riverThe voice of the hidden waterfallAnd the children in the apple-treeNot known, because not looked forBut heard, half-heard, in the stillnessBetween two waves of the sea.Quick now, here, now, always—A condition of complete simplicity(Costing not less than everything)And all shall be well andAll manner of thing shall be wellWhen the tongues of flame are in-foldedInto the crowned knot of fireAnd the fire and the rose are one.This poem is typical of T. S. Eliot in its combination of deceptively simple language – “the end is where we start from” – and intricate, densely allusive imagery.Each of the “Four Quartets” is named for a significant place. Burnt Norton, East Coker, and the Dry Salvages are places that were important in Eliot's own life. Little Gidding is a place that is significant not so much for Eliot's personal history, as for English history.Little Gidding is a village in Huntingdonshire where, in 1625, a man named Nicholas Ferrar purchased a manor house, restored a church, and, with a circle of family and friends, dedicated himself to living as a Christian community.  They had a schedule to ensure that perpetual prayer was being offered, night and day. They ran workshops, among them a bindery that published religious works—including The Temple of George Herbert. King Charles I visited Little Gidding several times, beginning in 1633, and in 1646, the defeated king took refuge at Little Gidding. Under Puritan rule, the community at Little Gidding was forcibly disbanded.For T. S. Eliot, Little Gidding represented the ideal form of Anglican Christianity. Given its history, the village also represented a place of refuge for embattled England in wartime (“Little Gidding” was written in 1942).  The portion that Lisa read is the very last part of the poem, which brings to a conclusion not only “Little Gidding” but the whole sequence of Four Quartets. And it's a wonderfully hopeful conclusion.Throughout the Four Quartets, Eliot has dwelt on themes of beginnings and endings, time and eternity. For Eliot, time, viewed in the light of the Incarnation of Christ, is paradox: “What we call the beginning is often the end / And to make an end is to make a beginning. / The end is where we start from.” As he says elsewhere in Four Quartets, “all is always now.” Thus the gate we arrive at is “unknown” yet “remembered,” and the last “discovery” is of what has already been. We exist in time, but we are also in God's time: “now, here, now, always.”What does this talk of beginnings and endings mean for a world in crisis?  Eliot turns to the medieval English mystic Julian of Norwich, who experienced a series of extraordinary revelations in 1373. Troubled by the mystery of sin, Julian wrote:  “Often I wondered why by the great foreseeing wisdom of God the beginning of sin was not letted: for then, methought, all should have been well.” But this way of thinking, she realizes, was “folly.” Christ tells her: “It behoved that there should be sin; but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”Sin exists; and yet “all shall be well.” This is not a simplistic acquiescence to evil in the world, doing nothing about it since “all will be well” in the end. Julian's faith, like Eliot's, is active, not passive. It is a “condition of complete simplicity,” but getting there is a journey, an adventure, a quest, which will cost us “not less than everything.”During this season of Advent and Christmas, “Little Gidding” has special resonance. At Christmas, Christ enters into time, and all time is changed—past, present, future. “The end of all our exploring / Will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first time.” This is the adventure of Christmas: to see all things, past and present, in new ways, in the light of the Incarnation.Corinna Laughlin 

Daily Quote Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. (George Santayana) Poem of the Day Museum WislawaSzymborska Beauty of Words 忘了过去就是犯罪 冯亦代

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach talk about Pantone's controversial pick for 2026 Color of the Year. Then, they talk about the battle for the acquisition of Warner Bros. Plus, they share their picks for “the vibes are on, the vibes are off”.------------------------------------------------------Saeed's Poem of the Week: “Happy Endings” by Kristen Tracy------------------------------------------------------ You can find everything Vibe Check related at our official website, www.vibecheckpod.comWe want to hear from you! Email us at vibecheck@stitcher.com, and keep in touch with us on Instagram @vibecheck_pod.Get your Vibe Check merch at www.podswag.com/vibecheck.Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Vibe Check ad-free.Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Recorded by Megan Levad Beisner for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on December 10, 2025. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.poets.org⁠

#900. Today on Off the Vine, Kaitlyn sits down with the internet's favorite poet — the woman whose words somehow manage to read our minds — Josie Balka.They unpack the unexpected moment her career began with one poem at 30, how everything blew up overnight, and what it was like when Hollywood royalty started using her sounds. Josie opens up about creating her own music, the pressure of writing work that feels like hers, and the mindset shift that made her embrace her “luckiest girl in the world” era.She also gets beautifully vulnerable — diving into the love stories behind her second book Loves of Our Lives, the friendships that shaped some of her most emotional pieces, the cosmetic surgeries she chose entirely for herself, and her hilariously relatable take on being a “pessimistic optimist,” aka constantly worrying every good thing might be the last good thing.It's girl talk, real talk, and everything in between. Enjoy!If you're LOVING this podcast, please follow and leave a rating and review below! PLUS, FOLLOW OUR PODCAST INSTAGRAM HERE!Thank you to our Sponsors! Check out these deals!Bombas: Head over to Bombas.com/vine and use code vine for 20% off your first purchase.Aura Frames: For a limited time, visit AuraFrames.com/vine and get $35 off Aura's best-selling Carver Mat frames - named #1 by Wirecutter - by using promo code VINE at checkout.Chewy: Every pet deserves a wish come true. Send your pet's wish to Chewy.com/ChewyClaus and it might become a reality. Plus, your wish means Chewy will donate 5 meals to pets in need.Quince: Go to Quince.com/vine for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!Better Help: Off the vine listeners get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/VINE.Pura: Right now, when you subscribe to two scents for 12 months you get the Pura 4 for free. Don't wait—this limited-time offer won't last. Try it risk-free for 30 days now at pura.comEPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: (07:36) How it all began: Josie shares the story of turning 30, writing one poem on a whim, and waking up to her life completely changed after it went viral.(21:49) The “luckiest girl in the world” mindset: how shifting her perspective transformed her confidence, creativity, and career.(35:38) Josie reads a poem from her new book Loves of Our Lives.(40:01) Josie gets real about the cosmetic surgery she's had, why she chose it, and how she approaches transparency with her audience.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1. Snow Plow 2. Rough Night Sleep 3. Bad at Fortnite 4. Tough Game 5. Poem

This week on Blocked and Reported, Jesse and Katie discuss the politics of poetry and a controversy surrounding an indie lit magazine. Plus, a Chuck Johnson update. Katie's Duke eventJesse's Austin eventInvestor sues Chuck Johnson for “falsely presenting ... as intelligence agent” | SemaforWhere Wokeness Went Wrong | Susan Neiman | The New York Review of BooksA MeToo Mob Tried to Destroy My Life as a Poet. This Is How I SurvivedOpen Letter to Open-Minded ProgressivesInside the New Right, Where Peter Thiel Is Placing His Biggest BetsCurtis Yarvin's Plot Against America‘The Interview': Curtis Yarvin Says Democracy is Done - The New York TimesSpectra PoetsGroup ThinkFor William and KristineA Close Reading of Curtis Yarvin This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.blockedandreported.org/subscribe

Competition and the Human Struggle with Death: Colleague Emily Wilson discusses the poem's end, where Achilles processes grief through funeral games that replace lethal combat with competition, analyzing Achilles giving Agamemnon a prize without contest—possibly a "sick burn"—and the final focus on women's lamentations, emphasizing the enduring human struggle to accept death and loss. 1717 TROY

I interviewed Karim Ben Khelifa about In 36,000 Ways on Sunday, November 16, 2025 at IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Here are the 26 episodes and more than 24 hours of coverage from my IDFA DocLab 2025 coverage: #1682: Preview of IDFA DocLab's Selection of "Perception Art" & Immersive Stories #1683: "Feedback VR Antifuturist Musical" Wins Immersive Non-Fiction Award at IDFA DocLab 2025 #1684: Playable Essay “individualism in the dead-internet age” Recaps Enshittification Against Indie Devs #1685: Immersive Liner Notes of Hip-Hop Album "AÜTO/MÖTOR" Uses three.js & HTML 1.0 Aesthetics #1686: 15 Years of Hand-Written Letters about the Internet in "Life Needs Internet 2010–2025" Installation #1687: Text-Based Adventure Theatrical Performance "MILKMAN ZERO: The First Delivery" #1688: Hacking Gamer Hardware and Stereotypes in "Gamer Keyboard Wall Piece #2" #1689: Making Post-Human Babies in "IVF-X" to Catalyze Philosophical Reflections on Reproduction #1690: Asking Philosophical Questions on AI in "The Oracle: Ritual for the Future" with Poetic Immersive Performance #1691: A Call for Human Friction Over AI Slop in "Deep Soup" Participatory Film Based on "Designing Friction" Manifesto #1692: Playful Remixing of Scanned Animal Body Parts in "We Are Dead Animals" #1693: A Survey of the Indie Immersive Dome Community Trends with "The Rift" Directors & 4Pi Productions #1694: Reimagining Amsterdam's Red Light District in "Unimaginable Red" Open World Game #1695: "Another Place" Takes a Liminal Architectural Stroll into Memories of Another Time and Place #1696: Speculative Architecture Meets the Immersive Dome in Sergey Prokofyev's "Eternal Habitat" #1697: Can Immersive Art Revitalize Civic Engagement? Netherlands CIIIC Funds "Shared Reality" Initiative #1698: Immersive Exhibition Lessons Learned from Undershed's First Year with Amy Rose #1699: Announcing "The Institute of Immersive Perservation" with Avinash Changa & His XR Virtual Machine Wizardry #1700: Update on Co-Creating XR Distribution Field Initiative & Toolkits from MIT Open DocLab #1701: Public Art Installation "Nothing to See Here" Uses Perception Art to Challenge Our Notions of Reality #1702: "Coded Black" Creates Experiential Black History by Combining Horror Genres with Open World Exploration #1703: "Reality Looks Back" Uses Quantum Possibility Metaphors & Gaussian Splats to Challenge Notions of Reality #1704: "Lesbian Simulator" is an Interactive VR Narrative Masterclass Balancing Levity, Pride, & Naming of Homophobic Threats #1705: The Art of Designing Emergent Social Dynamics with Ontroerend Goed's "Handle with Care" #1706: Using Immersive Journalism to Document Genocide in Gaza with "Under the Same Sky" #1707: War Journalist Turns to Immersive Art to Shatter Our Numbness Through Feeling. "In 36,000 Ways" is a Revelatory Embodied Poem by Karim Ben Khelifa This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

Tracy K. Smith, Pulitzer Prize winning poet, former Poet Laureate of the United States from 2017 to 2019, professor of English and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University and the author of several poetry collections and her latest, Fear Less: Poetry in Perilous Times (Norton, 2025), talks about her new book, making the case for reading poetry and sharing her own writing process.