The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Episode 1457: an excerpt from THERE IS ONLY ONE GHOST IN THE WORLD by Sophie Klahr and Corey Zeller
Host: Maggie Smith
Date: February 16, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Maggie Smith reflects on childhood fears, the evolution of belief, and the ways stories shape our understanding of self and world. The episode features an excerpt from There Is Only One Ghost in the World by Sophie Klahr and Corey Zeller—a collaborative poem that moves from the lore of the Bermuda Triangle into expansive ruminations on disappearance, personal loss, and the artifacts of relationships.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Childhood, Memory, and the Bermuda Triangle

[00:43 - 02:04]

• Maggie recalls being a child in the 80s with vivid memories akin to scenes from "Stranger Things," minus the supernatural elements:
  • “Kids riding their bikes in suburban neighborhoods, listening to music on cassette, playing board games with their friends.”
• She highlights the power of stories to shape childhood fears, particularly her fascination and anxiety surrounding the Bermuda Triangle, fueled by media and books.
• Maggie explains the Bermuda Triangle’s geographical reality and debunks its myth:
  • “A big part of growing up is re evaluating what we once believed, fact checking our news sources, and becoming more discerning in general. And not just about stories we read, but but about our own lives too.” (Maggie Smith, 02:00)

2. The Poem: From Myth to Personal Reflection

[02:05 - 04:12]

• Maggie introduces the poem as a collaborative work, appreciating its movement “from the legend of the Bermuda Triangle...toward the incredibly personal, though there isn't a single person's perspective or experience behind it.”
• The poem's passage:
  • Facts versus legends: Contrary to myth, the Bermuda Triangle does not have an unusual rate of disappearances.
  • Global perspective on loss: Introduces data—Alaska and California's disappearance statistics, then pivots to Sri Lanka’s staggering missing persons count (60,000–100,000 since 1980).
  • Geographic and corporeal metaphors: Sri Lanka “looks like a human nail…like a triangle laid out in one long line.” An average child’s blood vessels “would stretch over 60,000 miles.”
  • Personal vignettes of loss and change:
    • A woman retelling her divorce finds her hand cramps as she talks about removing her wedding ring, needing to reach it out a car window.
    • The narrator reminisces about a failed engagement—receiving an opal family ring at Christmas, thinking, “my God, he doesn’t know me at all.”

3. Thematic Connections: Disappearance and Recognition

• The piece threads together broad concepts of disappearance—geographical, statistical, and emotional—pointing to both visible and invisible forms of loss and change.
• The emotional resonance emerges in how the poem navigates from world myth into deeply personal territory, underlining themes of estrangement, misunderstanding, and the artifacts of love.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On growing up and myth-busting:

  “A big part of growing up is re evaluating what we once believed, fact checking our news sources, and becoming more discerning in general. And not just about stories we read, but but about our own lives too.”
  — Maggie Smith, [02:00]

• On Sri Lanka and metaphor:

  “If you look at Sri Lanka on a map you'll see it looks like a human nail and oddly, yes, like a triangle laid out in one long line.”
  — Excerpt from the poem, [03:17]

• On personal disconnection:

  “When you put it on, you thought, my God, he doesn't know me at all.”
  — Excerpt from the poem, [04:04]

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:43: Maggie’s personal reminiscence and context setting
• 02:00: Reflection on critical thinking and personal discernment
• 02:16: Introduction to Klahr & Zeller’s collaborative poem
• 02:30 - 04:12: Poem excerpt, blending myth, global data, and personal narrative

Tone & Style

• Maggie Smith’s narration remains intimate, conversational, and gently meditative.
• The poem excerpt is matter-of-fact yet poetic, weaving statistical realism with personal vulnerability and metaphor.

Summary

This episode of The Slowdown invites listeners to consider the evolution of belief—how we move from childlike credulity in mysterious legends like the Bermuda Triangle to nuanced, fact-based understandings. Through Sophie Klahr and Corey Zeller’s collaborative poem, the episode traces connections between large-scale disappearances (statistical, geographic) and the intimate losses and misunderstandings that subtly haunt ordinary lives. The juxtaposition of historical myth, hard data, and personal anecdote encourages reflection on appearance versus reality and the ways we account for absence—both in the world and within ourselves.