[encore] 1173: Sono by Suji Kwock Kim

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily Episode: [encore] 1173: "Sono" by Suji Kwock Kim
Release Date: July 9, 2025
Host: Major Jackson
Producer: Micah Kielbon
Produced by: American Public Media in partnership with The Poetry Foundation
Supported by: National Endowment for the Arts

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1. Introduction to Community-Curated Poetry

Timestamp: [01:24]

In this encore episode, producer Micah Kielbon reflects on a previous initiative where listeners were invited to curate poems that resonate deeply with them amidst the busyness of daily life. Micah shares,

“This was one of our favorite weeks of episodes and we wanted to return to them as we revisit episodes from the archives between seasons” ([01:24]).

He emphasizes the profound impact these curated poems have had on the show’s community, highlighting personal experiences such as the birth of new lives within the community:

“Each one of them is a life-changing joy and a little person who makes tangible the utter mystery of our existences” ([02:19]).

This segment sets the stage for exploring the intricate emotions and reflections that poetry can evoke, paving the way for the featured poem in this episode.

2. Exploration of "Sono" by Suji Kwock Kim

Timestamp: [02:19 - 08:09]

Reading of the Poem: Major Jackson introduces the episode by sharing the poem "Sono" by Suji Kwock Kim. The poem delves into the profound experience of birth, existence, and the contemplation of bringing new life into an unpredictable world. The vivid imagery and metaphorical language portray the delicate balance between hope and uncertainty inherent in the act of creation.

Major Jackson’s Reflection: Following the recitation, Major Jackson offers a heartfelt reflection on the poem's themes. He recounts a personal anecdote about a friend's mixed feelings regarding introducing a child into an unstable world during a graduation celebration:

“My bothered friend's mixed feelings about bringing a human being into an unstable world colored her experiences with newborns” ([04:00]).

Jackson connects this to his own experience upon his adult son’s decision to live child-free. He shares his internal struggle and eventual acceptance, emphasizing respect for individual choice:

“His life, his call. I abandoned my foolish thought and reasoned he would experience his own brand of happiness in whatever shape it took” ([06:00]).

Through these reflections, Jackson underscores the poem's message about maintaining a sense of wonder and marvel at the miracle of life, regardless of personal choices regarding parenthood.

Notable Quotes from the Poem:

• “...little traveler from the other world.” ([04:30])
• “Memory stay faithful to this moment which will never return.” ([05:15])
• “May I never forget when we first saw you there on the other side...” ([07:45])

These lines highlight the ethereal and transient nature of existence, capturing the essence of welcoming a new life while acknowledging the uncertainties it brings.

3. Supporting Public Media

Timestamp: [08:09]

Concluding the episode, Micah Kielbon addresses the listeners directly about the importance of supporting public media. He discusses the challenges faced by public media outlets, such as federal budget cuts, and emphasizes the role of the community in sustaining these essential platforms:

“If you want to protect your favorite public media podcasts like this one, visit americanpublicmedia.org action to learn how you can help” ([08:09]).

This call to action reinforces the podcast's commitment to providing thoughtful and impactful content, encouraging listeners to contribute to the preservation and growth of public media.

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Key Takeaways

• Community Engagement: The episode exemplifies the strong connection between the podcast and its listeners, showcasing the value of community-curated content in fostering a collective reflection on profound life experiences.

• Thematic Depth: "Sono" serves as a poignant exploration of birth, existence, and personal choice, encouraging listeners to contemplate the complexities of bringing life into an ever-changing world.

• Personal Reflection: Major Jackson’s personal anecdotes provide a relatable framework for understanding the emotional layers embedded within the poem, highlighting the universal struggles and triumphs associated with life decisions.

• Support for Public Media: The episode underscores the importance of supporting public media, recognizing its role in disseminating meaningful and reflective content that enriches the listener's daily life.

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Conclusion

This encore episode of The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily masterfully blends Suji Kwock Kim’s evocative poem "Sono" with personal reflections that resonate on both individual and collective levels. Through its rich narrative and emotional depth, the episode invites listeners to pause, reflect, and appreciate the intricate tapestry of life’s journeys, all while reinforcing the vital support for public media platforms that make such meaningful content possible.

Transcript

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[Micah Kielbon]

Hi, it's Slowdown producer Micah Kielbon. Last year we asked our community of listeners to help us curate poems we share on the show. To submit poems that have helped you pause and reflect in this busy world. This was one of our favorite weeks of episodes and we wanted to return to them as we revisit episodes from the archives between seasons. We weren't able to get this community curator on the phone to chat, but this poem speaks volumes to our team. Even since last year, quite a few babies have been born into my world across family, friends and work. Each one of them is a life changing joy and a little person who makes tangible the utter mystery of our existences. Film explores that mystery.

[Major Jackson]

I'm Major Jackson and this is the Slowdown. At a party, one friend was bothered by another asking guests if they wanted to hold her three month old baby. We were a large group gathered in the backyard for a graduation celebration. My bothered friend's mixed feelings about bringing a human being into an unstable world colored her experiences with newborns. Yet what I saw in the mother was someone beset in the wake of this imponderable wonder. She wanted us to feel what she felt awe in looking into her baby's eyes to hold close to our bodies its sweet innocence. Raising a child is a hugely personal decision. When my adult son announced casually in our kitchen he planned to live his life child free, I found myself hoping that he would reconsider his decision. Not because I possessed a hidden desire to continue a bloodline, but because parenting provided me so much joy and purpose. But then I realized. His life, his call. I abandoned my foolish thought and reasoned he would experience his own brand of happiness in whatever shape it took. I did not even ask why. I did not want to put undue pressure on him or send the message that I did not support him. In fact, I was actually proud of his thoughtfulness, something which I admittedly lacked at his age. Today's poem coordinates a masterful flow of language, simulating the journey of a child crossing into our time through another's body. The poem reminds us with sound and texture to not lose our sense of marvel. Sono by Tsuji Kwak Kim out of albumen and blood, out of amniotic brine placental sea swell trough salt spume and foam, you came to us infinitely far, little traveler from the other world. Skull keel and heel hole socketed to pelvic cradle, rib rigging, bowsprit spine, driftwood bone, the ship of you scudding wave after wave of what might never have been. Memory stay faithful to this moment which will never return. May I never forget when we first saw you there on the other side still fish gilled water lunged your eel grass hair and seahorse skeleton floating in the sonogram screen a like a ghost from tomorrow, moth breath quicksilver and snowy pixels fists and sleep twitch not yet alive but not not you who were and were not. A thunder of blood beats sutured in green jags on the ultrasound machine like hooves galloping from eternity to time, feet kicking bone krill and wound wall while we waited never to waken in that world again, the world without the shadow of your death, with no you or not you, no is or was or might have been or never were. May I never forget when I first saw you in that afterlife which was life. Soaked otterpelt and swan down crowning face cauld in blood and mucus mud eyes soldered shut, wet birth cord rooting you from one world to the next, you who might not have lived, might never have been born like all the others as we looked at every pock and crook of your skull, every clotted hair seal slick on your blue black scalp, every lash, every nail, every pore every breath with so much wonder that wonder is not the word. The Slowdown is a production of American Public Media in partnership with the Poetry Foundation. This project is also supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. On the [e-mail] to get a poem delivered to you daily, go to slowdownshow.org and sign up for our newsletter and find us on Instagram. Slowdown down show.

[Micah Kielbon]

Hi everyone, it's Maika, lead producer of the Slowdown. I want to take a minute to talk to you about public media. You may have heard about federal budget cuts and other threats to public media, but what you might not know is that the Slowdown is actually part of the public media ecosystem. If you want to protect your favorite public media podcasts like this one, visit americanpublicmedia.org action to learn how you can help.