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The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

1377: The Crux by Megan Peak

The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

American Public Media

Arts, Performing Arts

4.81.2K Ratings

🗓️ 20 October 2025

⏱️ 7 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Today’s poem is The Crux by Megan Peak.


The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Maggie writes… “There were times when mothering felt overwhelming. I’m so glad we got through the too-muchness to get to this place. Now, I always want more of them. It’s funny how that works, isn’t it? For years I craved more freedom, more independence, and then, when I got it, part of me missed being so needed.”


Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:55.1

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0:57.0

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1:04.0

I'm Maggie Smith, and this is the slowdown.

1:10.0

Thank you. Maggie Smith, and this is the slowdown.

1:31.4

If you have children, even if they're adults now, you probably remember the time when it felt like too much. Those early months are brutal,

1:41.0

emotionally and physically. Your body is not your own. Your space is not your own. Your sleep is not your own. Even your own mind feels co-opted by the new baby. When I think back to those

1:49.2

early days, months and years of having a baby or a baby and a toddler at the same time, I know I felt

1:57.7

overwhelmed, but I can't remember how I felt. I can barely conjure the physicality of

2:05.6

that exhaustion. I think our minds protect us so that we have the courage to do it again.

2:14.6

I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining or like I'm advising people against having children.

2:21.2

I'm not.

2:22.9

My kids are the loves of my life.

...

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