The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily 1475: Out of These Wounds, the Moon Will Rise by Jay Hopler
Mar 12, 2026
A meditation on wishing and the strange, hopeful rituals around birthdays and desire. A poet’s imagery is read aloud to let its tone and symbols breathe. The conversation frames hope as the force that makes farfetched wishes possible. Information on how to receive daily poems and support the show closes the segment.
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Watching Children Make Birthday Wishes
- Maggie Smith describes the birthday-wish ritual she loves, watching her children blow out candles while silently holding a hope-filled wish.
- She notes the family's tradition where the birthday child chooses the meal and dessert, and she watches their face during the deep breath before the blowout.
Everyday Wishing Rituals
- Maggie shares small personal rituals where she makes wishes: seeing 11:11, a shooting star, or finding a shell on the beach and throwing it back.
- She compares these acts to tossing a coin into a fountain and includes natural moments she finds moving, like a rainbow or a low orange moon.
Wishing Is A Form Of Hope
- Maggie interprets the poem's theme as wishing and therefore as hope, arguing wishes persist even when far-fetched.
- She suggests hope is the enabling emotion that allows people to make improbable wishes anyway.