1567: Assistance by Abbie Kiefer - The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Summary4 min read

The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily
Episode 1567: "Assistance" by Abbie Kiefer
Host: Maggie Smith | Date: July 27, 2026

Episode Overview

In today’s episode, host Maggie Smith reflects on her own relationship with gardening—what she hasn’t tackled, but may someday embrace—and introduces Abbie Kiefer’s poem "Assistance." The theme centers on caring for ourselves and others, the difference between what we can’t do and what we haven’t tried, and the power of small acts or new efforts to shift us out of sadness. The poem becomes a meditation on seeking solace in the act of gardening and the sometimes unexpected ways we find connection, including with strangers who see us as knowledgeable simply because of our presence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Host’s Reflection on Gardening

Personal Admission (01:04):
Maggie begins by acknowledging her notorious "brown thumb." She hasn’t really tried to garden, though she loves nature and fresh produce.

“If you've been listening to the Slowdown for a while now, you know I'm not a gardener. I famously have a brown thumb as they call it. But to be honest, I think it's more that I haven't really tried.” (01:04)
Community and Neighborhood Generosity:
She describes the neighborly generosity of her street, where people offer organic raspberries and maintain a communal herb patch, making fresh plants abundantly available without her needing to garden.
Contemplating Change:
Maggie recounts visiting a friend in Chicago with a lush garden. Her friend’s joy and satisfaction inspire Maggie to rethink her assumptions about her own limitations.

“All of this got me thinking about what I don't do, not what I can't do. The truth is, it's a little silly and more importantly, inaccurate to say I can't garden. I've never tried.” (02:11)

On Trying, Not Just Belonging or Knowing

Maggie’s narrative segues into a meditation on the difference between never having attempted something and genuinely being incapable. This acts as a lead-in to today’s poem, which uses gardening as an act of agency and self-healing.

Poem Recitation: “Assistance” by Abbie Kiefer (03:07)

Memorable Quotes from the Poem

On Using Gardening as Solace:

"When sadness settles in more intractable than usual, when it takes more pains to make itself known, I tell my sisters not to worry, I will garden the sadness away." (03:13)
On Creation and Effort:

"I decide on a raised bed, staining the cedar planks I stack into walls that form a new lack. I order loam and compost. The man with the pickup calls gorgeous. Do we decide what fills us? I can almost see it." (03:27)
On Shared Ignorance and Connection:

"At each place, I kid you not, I'm stopped by a customer and seeking assistance, like the one wanting to know how he can keep his onions from bolting. And I'm sheepish and sorry having to correct him. I don't work here. I don't know what I'm doing either." (04:01)

Notable and Memorable Moments

Maggie’s Self-Reflection: Maggie’s candid admission that she “doesn’t garden” rather than “can’t” sets a gentle, inviting tone, reminding the audience of the freedom to try new things at any stage.
The Poem’s Humor and Humanity: The speaker in the poem, assumed to look like an expert in gardening supply nurseries, is repeatedly asked for advice—a humorous and humbling moment highlighting how we may be called upon to help others before we even feel expert ourselves.

Timestamps for Key Segments

Personal Reflection on Gardening: 01:04 – 02:41
Community as Source of Nourishment: 01:38 – 01:57
Contemplation on Trying vs. Inability: 02:11 – 02:41
Introduction to Today’s Poem: 02:41 – 03:07
Poem Recitation: 03:07 – 04:21
Poetic Humility and Shared Unknowing: 04:01 – 04:21

Quotes Highlight Reel

Maggie Smith:

“It's a little silly and more importantly, inaccurate to say I can't garden. I've never tried.” (02:11)
Abbie Kiefer, poem:

“I don't work here. I don't know what I'm doing either.” (04:14)

Takeaway

This episode gently encourages listeners to reconsider the boundaries between “I can’t” and “I haven’t yet tried,” using gardening both as a literal and metaphorical act of care. Abbie Kiefer’s poem taps into the power of new beginnings, the solace in mundane labors, and the camaraderie found even in mutual uncertainty. Maggie’s voice remains welcoming and thoughtful throughout, reminding us that sometimes, simply trying—without expertise—can open doors to connection, healing, and self-understanding.

For more poems and reflections, visit the podcast at slowdownshow.org or follow them on Instagram.

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Transcript3 lines

[00:00]
A
This podcast is supported by Raymond James, a financial firm offering wealth management, banking and capital markets services that are inspired by people before Raymond James. Financial Advisors build plans. They build relationships so they can craft individual strategies designed to achieve priorities and pursue what's possible. That's the power of personal disclosures@raymondjames.com Raymond James and Associates, Inc. Member NYSE Sipic
[00:30]
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[01:04]
C
I'm Maggie Smith and this is the Slowdown. If you've been listening to the Slowdown for a while now, you know I'm not a gardener. I famously have a brown thumb as they call it. But to be honest, I think it's more that I haven't really tried. For as much as I love trees and appreciate flowers when I see them, I haven't thought to plant and tend to them myself. For as much as I love fresh cucumber and zucchini and herbs, I have never planted them. Lucky me. I live in a friendly neighborhood on the kind of street where someone sends out a group text saying, hey, we have organic raspberries. Who wants some? A block over is a community herb garden where one of my neighbors has planted basil, lemon balm, parsley and a host of herbs in the tree lawn, the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street, and anyone is free to harvest from the patch as they walk by. I chose the right neighborhood for a plant loving brown thumb to live in. Recently I visited a close friend of mine in Chicago and I was marveling at her backyard garden. My friend says it's satisfying the feeling of putting seeds or small plants into the earth and then watching them grow. I can imagine feeling a sense of accomplishment from that, especially because I would get to enjoy and share what I grew up. All of this got me thinking about what I don't do, not what I can't do. The truth is, it's a little silly and more importantly, inaccurate to say I can't garden. I've never tried. I have definitely killed some houseplants, but I have no idea how a garden of mine might fare. So the truth is, I don't garden. Maybe someday that will change. Maybe someday gardening will call to me and be just what I need. In today's poem, gardening is exactly what the speaker needs Assistance By Abby Kiefer when sadness settles in more intractable than usual, when it takes more pains to make itself known, I tell my sisters not to worry, I will garden the sadness away. I decide on a raised bed, staining the cedar planks I stack into walls that form a new lack. I order loam and compost. The man with the pickup calls gorgeous. Do we decide what fills us? I can almost see it. The dirt is deep brown and clumped, and it desires to be useful. I find moving it to be so tiring that I can keep in my head only the understanding of the weighted shovel. As I lever rounded mounds, I tell my sisters how I go looking for uncommon hot peppers, three nurseries in my gardening get up, Carhartt overalls, frayed socks, hat, and at each place, I kid you not, I'm stopped by a customer and seeking assistance, like the one wanting to know how he can keep his onions from bolting. And I'm sheepish and sorry having to correct him. I don't work here. I don't know what I'm doing either. 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, LoadownShow 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.