Summary4 min read

[Encore] 1460: “Poem to Remind Myself of the Natural Order of Things” by Donika Kelly

Podcast: The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily
Host: Maggie Smith
Date: March 26, 2026

Episode Overview

In this reflective and intimate encore episode, host Maggie Smith revisits “Poem to Remind Myself of the Natural Order of Things” by Donika Kelly. Against the backdrop of personal transitions and parenting, Maggie explores the openness and uncertainty of life’s next chapters. She offers gentle wisdom on allowing life to unfold, drawing on poetry to illuminate the beauty of self-knowledge and being “at home” in our lives—even as they change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Embracing Uncertainty and Openness (00:15–02:05)

Maggie admits she doesn’t have a five-year plan and isn’t sure she ever did.
- She reflects on the approaching milestones of her children: her youngest set to leave for college in five years, her oldest beginning adulthood.
Instead of rigid planning, she prefers “a wish list” and staying “flexible and open.”
Insight: The internal quality of life—how it feels, not just how it looks—is what matters most in the long run.

“I want to focus on how my life feels on the inside, not how it looks from the outside.”
—Maggie Smith (01:45)

2. Parenting, Pressure, and Permission to Change Paths (02:05–03:05)

Maggie shares a conversation with her daughter, who’s preparing for college, questioning what to study and future careers.
She shifts the focus from standard success metrics to questions of happiness and fulfillment:
- “What do you want your days and therefore your life to feel like?”
Maggie encourages her daughter not to anchor happiness to external achievements, but to recognize that desires and ambitions naturally evolve with time.

“It doesn’t matter how prestigious a college is, or how good a class or activity looks on her transcript… If she doesn’t feel good about those choices…”
—Maggie Smith (02:45)

“What she wants in life can and will change. Because she will change. No need to have all of the answers now. I certainly don’t have them. Not yet, not ever.”
—Maggie Smith (03:00)

3. Introduction to Today’s Poem (03:05–03:30)

Maggie introduces Donika Kelly’s poem as “a beautiful meditation on knowing ourselves and knowing what we need to be at home in our own lives.”
The poem acts as both a reflection and a nudge toward compassionately owning our desires and belonging.

The Poem (03:30–04:15)

“Poem to Remind Myself of the Natural Order of Things” by Donika Kelly:

“Observe the baby hippo, early born in hay over concrete,
stumbling and new in its enclosure, taut skin
and fat and awkward steps.
It stumbles under a fluorescent sun
and nearly into the white walls.
Hippo baby little river horse, you should be in a river.
Oh Danika, you should be in love.”

Memorable Moment

The poem’s turn: “Oh Danika, you should be in love.”
- This line is both directive and compassionate—a reminder to return to our most essential needs for belonging and connection.
- The juxtaposition of the hippo out of its natural environment is mirrored with the poet’s yearning for authentic placement in life and love.

Notable Quotes

“I want to stay flexible and open. I want to focus on how my life feels on the inside, not how it looks from the outside.”
—Maggie Smith (01:45)
“What do you want your days and therefore your life to feel like?”
—Maggie Smith (02:35)
“What she wants in life can and will change. Because she will change.”
—Maggie Smith (03:00)
“Hippo baby little river horse, you should be in a river. Oh Danika, you should be in love.”
—Donika Kelly, read by Maggie Smith (03:50)

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:15 — Maggie opens with personal reflection on planning, parenting, and uncertainty
01:45 — Discusses prioritizing inner fulfillment over external appearance
02:05 — Conversations with her daughter about college and the changing nature of wants
03:05 — Introduction to Donika Kelly’s poem as a meditation on self-knowledge and belonging
03:30 — Full reading of the poem
03:50 — Memorable closing line: “Oh Danika, you should be in love.”

Tone & Takeaway

The episode’s tone is gentle, thoughtful, and encouraging. Maggie’s reflection, intertwined with Donika Kelly’s tender poem, offers a balm for anyone facing transition, uncertainty, or self-doubt. The central message: you don’t have to have all the answers—stay attuned to your needs, accept change, and seek to be “at home” within yourself, wherever and however you are.

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Transcript2 lines

[00:01]
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[00:15]
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hey, it's Maggie. This week we are revisiting some of our favorite poems and reflections from the season so far. I'm Maggie Smith and this is the Slowdown. I don't have a five year plan. I'm not sure there was ever a time in my life when I did. In five years, my youngest will be 18 and getting ready to leave home. My oldest will be 22 and getting ready to begin her adult life. I suppose one version of a five year plan for me is supporting my daughter through college and supporting my son through high school. But then what? What's next for me? The honest answer is I don't know. I have five years to think about what I want out of the next stage of my life. Five years to think about my priorities and what might make me happy and fulfilled and how I might want to use my time and talents. What are my hopes? I hope as a writer I'm still lit up by new ideas. I hope I'm in love and building something lasting. I hope that with the freedom of becoming an empty nester, I'm traveling and spending time with friends and having adventures that were previously more difficult to manage. This is a wish list, though, not anything near a plan. And I think that's okay. I want to stay flexible and open. I want to focus on how my life feels on the inside, not how it looks from the outside. I've been talking to my daughter about this too. As she finishes high school and starts to think about college. Where will she go? What will she study? What kind of career might she have later? All of these are good questions, and questions that are natural to ask when we are on the precipice of big changes. But I keep asking her other questions too. What do you want your days and therefore your life to feel like? I want her to be able to breathe. I want her to enjoy her life, where she lives and with whom and how she spends her time. It doesn't matter how prestigious a college is, or how good a class or activity looks on her transcript or resume, or how well paying a career might be. If she doesn't feel good about those choices, I want her to trust me on something that what she wants in life can and will change. Because she will change. No need to have all of the answers now. I certainly don't have them. Not yet. Not ever. Today's poem is such a beautiful meditation on knowing ourselves and knowing what we need to be at home in our own lives. Poem to remind myself of the Natural Order of Things By Danika Kelly Observe the baby hippo, early born in hay over concrete, stumbling and new in its enclosure, taut skin and fat and awkward steps. It stumbles under a fluorescent sun and and nearly into the white walls. Hippo baby little river horse, you should be in a river. Oh Danika, you should be in love. 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 at Slide Slow down show and blue sky@downdownshow.org. Hi, it's Maggie. The Slowdown is the only poetry podcast in public media. That means your support is vital to to keep us going. No matter how much you give, your contribution makes a real difference. Head to SlowdownShow.org donate today to Power More Poems into the Future.