Asking the age old question, where do we start?

The Spark

by Maggie Devers

I try to think where her story starts.

When I went to my parents' for the weekend

And the Labrador could smell her

And for the first time in her dog life, didn’t jump on me

Or when I met her father

And we kissed on our first date

At the cowboy bar that's burned down twice now,

Or when we named her

And whispered her into my womb

On an island far from here

Or when she jumped awake in Star Wars,

Whatever one was out

The Christmas before she was born

Or when she was born

Or when I first felt her kick

Or when I decided I wanted a daughter

And wondered what she would be like

When was that?

It’s hard to know where to begin

When we’re constantly in the process of beginning.

More from Maggie Devers ↓

1. Read my debut poetry book, For My Daughter
2. Follow me on Instagram for more poetry @rembrandts.cure

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One Poem Only submissions are open.

This round, I’m looking for poems about what remains. What stays with us when we experience change? What survives? What do we yearn to carry forward? Send me the poem you wrote and want the world to hear. Also, if you’d like to read your own poem on the podcast, you can. Submit a clear audio file recorded in a quiet space—no perfect studio recording required. And yes, your poem can have been previously published in a literary magazine, in print, or on social media. Submissions close Thursday, October 29. I’ll respond by Wednesday, November 11. Whether I read your poem or you read it yourself, I’d love to hear what you have to share.

One Poem Only Submissions Form