Poetry Unbound
On Being Studios
Short and unhurried, Poetry Unbound is an immersive exploration of a single poem, hosted by Pádraig Ó Tuama.
Pádraig Ó Tuama greets you at the doorways of brilliant poems and walks you through — each one has wisdom to offer and questions to ask you.
Already a listener? There’s also a book (Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World), a Substack newsletter with a vibrant conversation in the comments, and occasional gatherings.
Pádraig Ó Tuama greets you at the doorways of brilliant poems and walks you through — each one has wisdom to offer and questions to ask you.
Already a listener? There’s also a book (Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World), a Substack newsletter with a vibrant conversation in the comments, and occasional gatherings.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 9, 2026 • 9min
Poetry Unbound Bonus — Walter de la Mare
A tender reading of Walter de la Mare's moonlit poem brings a haunting nocturnal scene to life. Reflections follow on why speaking aloud matters and the compulsion to declare a visit. Listener memories and a playful focus on horse imagery and alliteration add personal warmth. Closing notes outline future plans and ways to follow the creator's work.
16 snips
Mar 6, 2026 • 17min
Leonard Cohen — Book of Mercy “I,8”
A close reading of Leonard Cohen’s short prose-poem that feels like a vertiginous fall and a prayer. Brief live readings frame reflections on form, numbering, and the visual space of Book of Mercy. Themes of shame, disgrace, empathy, and a ritualized ‘you’ are explored as a way to remake liturgy into healing.
Mar 2, 2026 • 18min
Billy-Ray Belcourt — Subarctica
A close reading of a poem that transports you to a frozen December and a tiny schoolyard of poplars. Reflections on how containment reshapes perspective and opens surprising wonder. Exploration of Indigenous and queer lenses, desire, trauma, and survival imagery. A meditation on nostalgia, reframing sadness, and the possibility of flourishing within limits.
Feb 27, 2026 • 17min
Ruth Irupé Sanabria — Carne
A vivid reading that lists sensory images of meats and childhood meals. The narrator pauses to trace a dramatic shift from external appetite to inner longing. Language, rhythm, and verbs are examined for how they shape power and perspective. The story explores hunger that is not just food but conscience, independence, and the desire to be honored.
Feb 23, 2026 • 16min
Lena Khalaf Tuffaha — Dukka
A lyrical reading explores love as resistance amid danger and grief. The poem maps seven vivid scenes of care across generations and community. Repetition and line breaks build musical tension and hope. Temporal threads tie past, present, and future into acts of defiant tenderness.
6 snips
Feb 20, 2026 • 21min
Rachel Mann — #TDOR
A reflective reading turns halting, repeated lines into a liturgical call. The poem lists names to mark the scale of loss around Trans Day of Remembrance. The narrator’s hesitant second-person voice raises questions of distance, sanctification, and responsibility. The piece avoids naming violence directly while urging listeners to speak and act.
24 snips
Feb 16, 2026 • 16min
Sanah Ahsan — Ramadan’s Greeting
A reflective exploration of hunger, choice, and communal ritual during Ramadan. Listens to a short, meditative poem that contrasts light and dark, desire and restraint. Discusses the poem’s rhythmic pauses, sensual language, and the way the moon signals turning toward family and shared practice.
27 snips
Feb 13, 2026 • 17min
Kevin Hart — Prayer
A meditation on Kevin Hart’s poem “Prayer” that lingers on sensual language and repeated invitations to come. Explores strange reasons for prayer, candid liturgical language, and the poem’s ache of desire. Considers nature’s role, who is being addressed, and the double meaning of longing. Ends with a full reading of the poem.
13 snips
Feb 9, 2026 • 15min
Harryette Mullen — LUVTOFU
Playful readings of a saucy, double-meaning poem that toys with language and misreading. Lively attention to rhyme, alliteration, sound, and rhythm. Exploration of erotic innuendo alongside literal devotion to tofu. Connections to literary traditions and surprising nods to famous poets.
15 snips
Feb 6, 2026 • 16min
Stewart Henderson — How To Speak Love In A Storm?
A tender reading of a poem that models how to stay with someone in crisis. Close attention to voice, small details, and the language of care. Reflections on shame, exposure, and the risk of hollow comfort. A therapist's story about how a poem can change a caring moment.
