1408: Noah's Nameless Wife Takes Inventory by C.T. Salazar - The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Summary4 min read

Episode Overview

Podcast: The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily
Host: Maggie Smith
Episode: 1408 – “Noah's Nameless Wife Takes Inventory” by C.T. Salazar
Date: December 2, 2025

This episode explores the significance of naming, recognition, and voice—especially the often-unheard women in foundational stories—through Maggie Smith's thoughtful introduction and a powerful poem by C.T. Salazar. The poem, told from the perspective of Noah’s anonymous wife, gives voice to a figure typically left unnamed and unremembered in biblical narrative, reflecting on preservation, memory, and erasure.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

The Power and Meaning of Naming ([01:30]–[03:00])

Maggie shares personal anecdotes about receiving mail addressed to "Mrs." followed by her then-husband’s name:

“Wow, did it make me feel like an accessory to someone else’s life. Like I was in a little sidecar riding along but not driving.”
(Maggie Smith, [01:36])
She reflects on the tradition of naming—how cultural habits often erase individual identity, particularly for women.
Maggie discusses how naming (or the lack thereof) confers power and respect:

“Maybe all of this concern about naming sounds nitpicky, but names matter. What we call one another matters. There is power and respect in naming and in who gets named at all.”
(Maggie Smith, [02:39])

Erasure in Traditional Narratives ([03:00]–[03:50])

Using the biblical story of Noah’s Ark, Maggie points out that while men are named, women are simply labeled by their relationship to men ("Noah’s wife"):

“In many of the stories I grew up with, the men are named, but their wives and daughters are not. That makes it pretty clear who the main characters are, doesn't it?”
(Maggie Smith, [02:54])
She imagines "Noah's wife" reacting to such erasure—signaling mild humor and exasperation:

“I can just imagine her getting a card from someone that’s addressed that way. Noah’s wife. And sighing deeply or rolling her eyes or muttering under her breath.”
(Maggie Smith, [03:44])

Introduction and Reading of the Poem ([03:50]–[05:00])

Maggie introduces the day’s poem as a corrective, giving voice to Noah’s unnamed wife:

“Today’s poem is one in which the wife of Noah gets to speak.”
(Maggie Smith, [03:56])
She then reads “Noah’s Nameless Wife Takes Inventory” by C.T. Salazar, creating a vivid, sensory inventory of both the ark’s animals and the deeper emotional cost of survival and forgetting.

Key Moments & Imagery in C.T. Salazar’s Poem ([04:03]–[05:00])

Vivid tallying of animal parts and survival items:

“Horse heart, hyena heart, swan spine / Silver fish shining in black water, yes / Timber wolf tooth, yes.”
Stark spiritual and existential observations:

“Pity the ark with its belly full of glowing tongues, / Touch the lion’s paw only while it sleeps.”
Haunting reflection on loss, memory, and the cost of forgetting:

“The red tailed hawk, with jewels for eyes, / swallows the field mouse and the mouse was the only proof the field existed. / What else will be forgotten?”
“The hawk will starve soon, we will starve soon. / The dogs will howl like a God learning the word for light, / and nothing will howl back.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Naming and Identity:
“There is power and respect in naming and in who gets named at all.”
(Maggie Smith, [02:39])
On Erasure:
“In many of the stories I grew up with, the men are named, but their wives and daughters are not. That makes it pretty clear who the main characters are, doesn't it?”
(Maggie Smith, [02:54])
From the Poem – On Memory and Loss:
“The mouse was the only proof the field existed. What else will be forgotten?”
(C.T. Salazar, read at [04:30])
From the Poem – On Hopelessness:
“The dogs will howl like a God learning the word for light, and nothing will howl back.”
(C.T. Salazar, read at [04:50])

Timestamps for Key Segments

[01:30] Personal anecdote about naming conventions and marital identity
[02:39] Reflection on the importance of naming
[02:54] Critique of erasure in biblical and traditional narratives
[03:56] Introduction to C.T. Salazar’s poem
[04:03]–[05:00] Reading of “Noah’s Nameless Wife Takes Inventory”
[04:30]–[04:50] Most memorable poetic lines on loss and future erasure

Tone & Atmosphere

The episode blends warm, conversational storytelling with gentle but penetrating critique. Maggie Smith acknowledges traditions with empathy, yet calls listeners to recognize deeper issues of identity and memory, all while spotlighting poetry as a balm and a tool for reconsideration.

Final Thoughts

This episode is a meditation on visibility, voice, and remembering those written out of history. Through personal reflection and the evocative poem by Salazar, listeners are invited to question whose stories we tell, whose names we remember, and what is lost—and what can be reclaimed—in the process.

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Transcript2 lines

[00:00]
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On this giving Tuesday. I hope you'll take a moment to help power the poetry that reaches you each day. The Slowdown is here, thanks to your support and every donation brings you more moments of calm and clarity. Consider making a gift in any amount and be sure to take a look at the brand new gifts available as our thanks to you. Donate now@slowdownshow.org or via the link in the show Notes and thank you. I'm Maggie Smith and this is the Slowdown. When I was married I would sometimes get mail addressed to Mrs. Followed by my then husband's name. It's an old fashioned way of addressing a married woman. Mrs. John Smith myth Mrs. Adam Jones. And if I'm honest, yes, most of that mail came from his older relatives. People who were kind and who meant well. But wow, did it make me feel like an accessory to someone else's life. Like I was in a little sidecar riding along but not driving. The funny part of this is that I didn't even change my last name when I got married. I was Maggie Smith, not Mrs. Anything. When someone called me Mrs. Smith, I probably winced a little. Mrs. Smith was and is my mother. I was and am Ms. Smith. I ask my children's friends to call me Maggie. It's just easier. Some of them take to that naturally and others have been raised not to use first names with adults. I get it. I was raised that way too, so I don't mind when they awkwardly call me Rhett's mom. For example I'm pretty comfortable riding in my children's sidecars. Maybe all of this concern about naming sounds nitpicky, but names matter. What we call one another matters. There is power and respect in naming and in who gets named at all. In many of the stories I grew up with, the men are named, but their wives and daughters are not. That makes it pretty clear who the main characters are, doesn't it? For example, in the story of Noah's Ark, in the book of Genesis and the Christian Bible, there are four wives on the ark, the wives of Noah and his three sons. Guess which characters aren't named. That's right, the wives. Noah's wife is identified as just that, Noah's wife. I can just imagine her getting a card from someone that's addressed that way. Noah's wife and sighing deeply or rolling her eyes or muttering under her breath. Today's poem is is one in which the wife of Noah gets to speak. Noah's nameless wife takes inventory. By C T Salazar Horse heart, hyena heart, swan spine Silver fish shining in Bl Black water, yes Timber wolf tooth, yes. Pity the ark with its belly full of glowing tongues, Touch the lion's paw only while it sleeps. The red tailed hawk, with jewels for eyes, swallows the field mouse and the mouse was the only proof the field existed. What else will be forgotten? The hawk will starve soon, we will starve soon. The dogs will howl like a God learning the word for light, and nothing will howl back. The Slowdown is a production of American Public Media in partnership with the Poetry Foundation. To get a poem delivered to you daily, go to slowdownshow.org and sign up for our newsletter. Find us on instagram, slowdownshow and blueskylowdownshow.org the slowdown is written by me, Maggie Smith. Our lead producer is Micah Kielbon, and our associate producer is Maria Wurtel. Our music is composed by Kyle Andrews, engineering by Derek Ramirez. Our editor is Joanne Griffith. Additional production help by Susanna Sharpless, Cece Lucas, Marcel Malakibu, and Lauren Humpert. Our executives in charge are Chandra Kavati and Mark Crowley. Hey, it's Maggie. Every weekday, the Slowdown delivers the creativity and care of poetry to all free of charge, and your support makes it possible. Donating to the Slowdown is easy. Just go to slowdownshow.org donate to make your gift in less time than it takes to listen to an episode.