1464: Somewhere Else by Adam J. Gellings - The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Summary

The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Episode 1464: "Somewhere Else" by Adam J. Gellings
Host: Maggie Smith
Date: February 25, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Maggie Smith explores the power of poetry to connect us with our beginnings and personal mythologies. Through the reading and reflection on Adam J. Gellings's poem "Somewhere Else," Maggie muses on childhood, self-identity, and the sometimes arbitrary ways we try to pin meaning on our own origin stories—whether through nursery rhymes, astrology, or the evocative language of poetry.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Personal Origins and Myth-Making

Maggie opens with reflections on the day and time of her birth, noting:
- "All of this is either useless information...or it's part of our own myth making."
She recalls finding a nursery rhyme about the days of the week and how each day supposedly shapes a child's fortune or personality.
- "Monday's child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace, Wednesday's child is full of woe…"
Maggie questions the truth behind such traditions and other forms of personality assignment, like astrology.

Self-Reflection and Identity

Maggie shares:
- "I'm a Sunday's child…Fair and wise and good and gay. I'm not sure I can claim all of that, but I'll take it."
She humorously admits:
- "For a chunk of my angsty teenage years, I have a feeling my parents saw me as more of a Wednesday's child full of woe."
She expresses skepticism while also a fascination with astrology, acknowledging that her ambivalence might itself be "very Aquarius."
- "Aquariuses are said to be fiercely independent and individualistic, so being wary of astrology would be very aquarius of me."

The Power of Childhood and Poetry

Maggie reveals why she was drawn to today's poem:
- "I have a soft spot for poems that take me back to childhood, back to our origin stories. I was drawn to today's poem for that reason, and also because I love the language. This is a poem to savor."

Featured Poem: "Somewhere Else" by Adam J. Gellings

Selected Reading Highlights

The poem explores birth and memory with dreamlike, tactile imagery:
- "I was born in the early evening behind an old door at the end of autumn. Imagine a woman with child, a mouthful of hair, a fist forming a stone bathtub and a rough sink."
Sensory details evoke the mystery of origins:
- "Thick paste of salt and cold applied directly to the stain. Blue eyes, a collective gasp, the hardwood ladder leaning against the shadow of dead cells nightgowned in moon."
The poem touches on the language of childhood and the shaping power of environment:
- "I was raised in the surrounding grass covered ruins between rhubarb and riverine…When I was a child there were no words for this cool simplicity collapsing over time when the water was low."
The ending conjures a chorus of voices lost and longing:
- "Imagine its voice more like a chorus, its sudden squall digging the fossils that drowned trying to reach."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On personal myth and skepticism:
- Maggie Smith (00:45): "All of this is either useless information...or it's part of our own myth making."
On self-identity through nursery rhyme:
- Maggie Smith (01:33): "I'm a Sunday's child…Fair and wise and good and gay. I'm not sure I can claim all of that, but I'll take it."
Humor and humility about growing up:
- Maggie Smith (01:44): "For a chunk of my angsty teenage years, I have a feeling my parents saw me as more of a Wednesday's child full of woe."
Reflections on astrology:
- Maggie Smith (01:57): "Aquariuses are said to be fiercely independent and individualistic, so being wary of astrology would be very aquarius of me."

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:45 – 02:09: Maggie’s reflections on origins, nursery rhymes, and astrology
02:09 – 03:18: Introduction and full reading of "Somewhere Else" by Adam J. Gellings

Tone & Style

Maggie’s tone is warm, reflective, and gently humorous, inviting listeners to consider their own stories with openness and curiosity. The episode weaves personal anecdote and poetic admiration, embracing both skepticism and wonder.

Summary

Episode 1464 of The Slowdown offers an intimate meditation on how we construct meaning from the details of our birth and upbringing. Through Maggie Smith’s thoughtful commentary and the lyrical world of Adam J. Gellings’s poem, listeners are encouraged to contemplate the narratives—both inherited and self-written—that shape who we are. The episode celebrates poetry as a way to revisit our own origins with tenderness and imagination.

Transcript

A (0:00)

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B (0:23)

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C (0:45)

I'm Maggie Smith and this is the Slowdown. I was born at 4:30 in the afternoon on a cold Sunday in February. All of this is either useless information. Time of day, day of the week, month of the year, or it's part of our own myth making. In a box of old things from my mother, I once found a card with a traditional English nursery rhyme on it about children born on different days of the week. Maybe you've heard this one before. Monday's child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace, Wednesday's child is full of woe. Thursday's child has far to go. Friday's child is loving and giving. Saturday's child works hard for a living but the child that's born on the Sabbath day is fair and wise and good and gay. I'm a Sunday's child or a child born on the Christian Sabbath day. Fair and wise and good and gay. I'm not sure I can claim all of that, but I'll take it. To be honest, for a chunk of my angsty teenage years, I have a feeling my parents saw me as more of a Wednesday's child full of woe. And there are definitely years where I've had far to go like Thursday's child. I personally don't put any stock into the day of the week I was born on. I can admit that I find astrology interesting, but I'm also wary of assigning character traits to people based on their birth month. Aquariuses are said to be fiercely independent and individualistic, so being wary of astrology would be very aquarius of me. Come to think of it, whether I'm fair and wise and good and gay, or independent and individualistic. I know one thing for certain. I have a soft spot for poems that take me back to childhood, back to our origin stories. I was drawn to today's poem for that reason, and also because I love the language. This is a poem to savor somewhere else. By Adam J. Gellings I was born in the early evening behind an old door at the end of autumn. Imagine a woman with child, a mouthful of hair, a fist forming a stone bathtub and a rough sink. Thick paste of salt and cold applied directly to the stain. Blue eyes, a collective gasp, the hardwood ladder leaning against the shadow of dead cells nightgowned in moon. I was raised in the surrounding grass covered ruins between rhubarb and riverine When I was a child there were no words for this cool simplicity collapsing over time when the water was low Think field created by lightning kaleidoscope of back and forth. Imagine its voice more like a chorus, its sudden squall digging the fossils that drowned trying to reach. 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 and find us on instagram slowdownshow and blueskylowdownshow.org. Hi, it's Maggie. The Slowdown helps you discover new poems and revisit old favorites. You can help us continue showcasing poetry from a diverse swath of authors by making a tax deductible gift. Head to slowdownshow.org donate today.