The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Episode: [Encore] 1343: /’mīgrent/ by Tiana Nobile
Host: Maggie Smith
Date: December 11, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of The Slowdown features host Maggie Smith reflecting on the meaning, history, and connotations of the word "migrant." Smith thoughtfully examines the impact of language on human dignity, especially in the context of immigration discussions, and introduces Tiana Nobile’s poem /’mīgrent/. Through Nobile’s poem, the episode explores the broader, more hopeful definition of migration—as movement, possibility, and agency—beyond political discourse.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Power and History of Words

• Maggie Smith opens by celebrating the etymology and evolution of words, describing the personal connection and deeper understanding that arises from learning a word’s history.

  • “When I look up the origin of a word, it's like unfolding a map and seeing the journey that word has taken to reach me. Suddenly I know it better. It feels special to me, like a friend.” (01:34)

• Focusing on "migrant", she explains its Latin roots: “Migrant comes from the Latin migrens, meaning changing place. So a migrant is one who moves from place to place. The adjective migratory is related to migrant, as in migratory birds.” (01:55)

The Language of Immigration & Belonging

• Smith discusses the emotionally charged language often used in media and politics regarding immigration, pointing out how words can either strip or restore dignity.

  • She critiques the use of terms like “illegals” and “illegal aliens” for being dehumanizing:

    “Those words carry meaning. They also carry a heavy negative connotation. Those terms are dehumanizing, and I think that's the point.” (03:28)

• The host reflects on the fear and uncertainty faced by immigrant communities, sharing personal accounts from friends who worry about deportation and family separation:

  “I have friends who work at elementary schools and who are afraid that ICE will come and take their students or their students’ parents from school.” (03:50) “This country does not feel like a place of freedom and possibility for those seeking a better life. It feels like an increasingly hostile place.” (04:13)

Reclaiming "Migrant" as Possibility and Freedom

• Shifting the narrative, Smith reframes the word “migrant” as a symbol of movement, opportunity, and agency—connecting it to the natural world and suggesting an inherent freedom in the act of migration:

  “To migrate—whether you can fly or not—is to be free.” (04:48)

Featured Poem

/’mīgrent/ by Tiana Nobile

(Read by Maggie Smith, 04:52–06:46)

• The poem uses evocative imagery of animals, birds, and seeds to honor resilience and the unbounded nature of those who move.

• Memorable lines include:

  “Of an animal, especially a bird, a wandering species whom no seas nor places limit, A seed who survives despite the depths of hard winter.” (04:58)
  “We of the sky, the dirt and the sea, we the seven league booters and the little by littlers we transmigrated souls will prevail. We will carry ourselves into the realms of light.” (06:23)

• The poem underscores the idea that migration is both natural and heroic, filled with perseverance and hope.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the humane power of language

  “The words we use matter. The language we choose can strip a person's dignity from them or restore that dignity.” (03:16)

• On possibility, not limitation

  “Today's poem looks at the word migrant and its meaning apart from the current political climate…movement from place to place, after all, suggests possibility, opportunity, and agency.” (04:25)

• On overcoming obstacles

  “To find the usual watering places despite the gauze of death that shrouds our eyes, is a breathtaking feat.” (05:24)

Important Timestamps

• 01:34 — Maggie Smith’s reflection on word origins and their personal meaning
• 03:16 — On the consequence of dehumanizing language
• 04:13 — Testimonies of fear among immigrant communities
• 04:25 — Reframing “migrant” as a term of agency and hope
• 04:52–06:46 — Reading of “/’mīgrent/” by Tiana Nobile

Episode Tone & Style

The episode is contemplative, gentle, and empathetic. Maggie Smith’s tone is reflective, inviting listeners to slow down and thoughtfully consider the weight of words, the importance of compassion, and poetry’s power to illuminate hidden truths and shared humanity.

Further Engagement

• To receive a daily poem, Maggie encourages listeners to sign up at slowdownshow.org
• The episode closes with a reminder that poetry helps us “pay attention to ourselves, to each other,” and fosters mindfulness in a hurried world. (07:30)

This episode is a poignant meditation on language, empathy, and endurance, using both poetic and personal reflection to inspire listeners toward greater awareness and compassion.