Brood

Maggie Devers

The three hens at my daughter’s school

Are oblivious to egg prices

Concerned with lunch scraps

And the stray termite

And their stair perch when the sun dips low

I wonder how they spend evenings and weekends

If they miss the sound of childsong

Or the Sunday scaries set in

I imagine they commune with their comrades

Offer jokes and such for trade

My daughter assures me chickens dislike the mud

And I'm inclined to believe her

More from Maggie Devers ↓

• Read my debut poetry book, For My Daughter
• 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