[encore] 645: It’s 9:30am, I’ve ran four miles, cried four times, & eaten two chicken sandwiches

Summary

Summary of [Encore] 645: “It’s 9:30am, I’ve Ran Four Miles, Cried Four Times, & Eaten Two Chicken Sandwiches”

Released on July 23, 2025, as part of the encore series on "The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily," this episode revisits the thoughtful and poetic insights of former host Ada Limón. Hosted by Major Jackson, the episode delves into Limón's reflective journaling practices and her profound connection to poetry as a means of understanding and appreciating daily life.

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1. Introduction to the Encore Episode

Major Jackson begins the episode by acknowledging the archival content being featured, emphasizing the meaningful contributions of Ada Limón during her tenure as host. He remarks:

“Her thoughtfulness and deep love of poetry made her time on the show very special. I hope you enjoy this selection from the Archives.”
[00:51]

This sets the tone for the episode, highlighting the significance of revisiting Limón's perspectives and poetic expressions.

2. Ada Limón's Reflections on Journaling and Daily Life

Ada Limón shares her personal relationship with journaling, describing it as a daily ritual that helps her capture and acknowledge the nuances of her life. She states:

“I keep a journal that I write in every day. Sometimes it's just lists of things I need to do with an intention scrawled on the top of the page, and other times it's recollections of my dreams or beginnings of poems, or some memory that strikes me or something I want to remember.”
[01:17]

Limón emphasizes the importance of recording daily activities to gain a clearer understanding of one's life. She reflects on a time before she maintained such regularity in journaling:

“Before I started journaling with such regularity, I remember thinking I barely accomplished anything in one day. Like that John Prine song 'Angel from Montgomery' with the lyric 'and I ain't done nothing since I woke up today.' But the truth is, I do a great deal. I write it all down.”
[02:10]

This introspection reveals how journaling has helped her recognize and appreciate her daily achievements, no matter how small they may seem.

3. The Intersection of Poetry and Daily Experience

Limón delves into how poetry serves as an extension of her journaling practice, allowing her to witness and immortalize her life's moments. She references Annie Dillard's thoughts on time and existence:

“Annie Dillard once wrote, 'how we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour and that one is what we are doing.' I think about this a lot when I am planning my day and what sort of pleasure I might suck out of its marrow during these tumultuous times of constant upheaval and war.”
[03:05]

This contemplation underscores the role of poetry in finding beauty and meaning amidst chaos and routine.

4. Reading of Ada Limón's Poetic Reflection

Ada presents a poem titled “It’s 9:30am, I’ve Ran Four Miles, Cried Four Times, & Eaten Two Chicken Sandwiches" by Christian Aldana. She describes the poem as an "electrified journal" that captures the magic of everyday existence through rhythmic pacing and vivid imagery. The poem intricately weaves mundane activities with profound emotional experiences, illustrating the depth found in ordinary moments.

Notable excerpts include:

“It's 9:30am I've ran four miles, cried four times and eaten two chicken sandwiches… did laugh did put towel down did splatter stomach did dust eyelashes did make eggs a pound of bacon, bagels and coffee…”
[04:15]

“…did kiss through seizing instances did defy little listener that salsas between my ears did see soaring fires and wrinkling mountains in your lips…”
[04:45]

Limón's delivery highlights the poem's seamless blend of the physical and emotional, emphasizing how everyday tasks and feelings are intertwined in the human experience.

5. Concluding Reflections

The episode wraps up by reinforcing the themes of mindfulness and appreciation for the present moment, as captured through journaling and poetry. Limón's reflections serve as a reminder to find solace and inspiration in the simple acts of daily life, encouraging listeners to embrace their own routines with poise and poetic awareness.

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Conclusion

This encore episode of "The Slowdown" offers a poignant glimpse into Ada Limón's approach to life and poetry. Through her journaling practice and her thoughtful reading of Christian Aldana's poem, listeners are invited to pause, reflect, and find beauty in their own everyday experiences. Major Jackson's introduction and seamless transition into Limón's heartfelt expressions make this episode a valuable resource for both long-time fans and new listeners seeking depth and serenity in their daily rituals.

Transcript

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[Major Jackson]

Hey, it's me, Major Jackson. We're reaching into the archive to bring you some of our favorites. Here's one from Ada Limone's tenure as host. Her thoughtfulness and deep love of poetry made her time on the show very special. I hope you enjoy this selection from the Archives.

[Ada Limon]

I'm Ada Limon and this is the Slowdown I keep a journal that I write in every day. Sometimes it's just lists of things I need to do with an intention scrawled on the top of the page, and other times it's recollections of my dreams or beginnings of poems, or some memory that strikes me or something I want to remember. I have become attached to keeping these journals because it makes me realize how much I do. During one day before I started journaling with such regularity, I remember thinking I barely accomplished anything in one day. Like that John Prine song Angel from Montgomery with the lyric and I ain't done nothing since I woke up today. But the truth is, I do a great deal. I write it all down. I take notes, I make lists and check them off. And even in writing down my dreams, I am witnessing my life. Annie Dillard once wrote, how we spend our days is of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour and that one is what we are doing. I think about this a lot when I am planning my day and what sort of pleasure I might suck out of its marrow during these tumultuous times of constant upheaval and war. Sometimes that means noticing even the most mundane tasks in order to know we are alive, that we are living. Today's Liszt poem acts like an electrified journal. Its rhythmic pacing and imaginative specificity allow us to see the magic in the mere act of being. It's 9:30am I've ran four miles, cried four times and eaten two chicken sandwiches by Christian Aldana did abstract illusions in plain did taste your gum did enamour elevated electricity did diddle mechanoreceptors did strain silence to shadow shower did ring the belly button with tip did read your words did laugh did put towel down did splatter stomach did dust eyelashes did make eggs a pound of bacon, bagels and coffee did soak feet hand in hand did run along alligator snout lined with sable palms did vasodilate did wash did brush hair did whiskey your tequila did put you in mouth did get vicariously carried slurried did wake to sheer curtains washed in light did crystallize laughter for later use did burst into zone out did drink boozy coffee schmoozing per usual did drink with cup cut in half the liquid too did kiss through seizing instances did defy little listener that salsas between my ears did see soaring fires and wrinkling mountains in your lips did nip your ears in the gruff thuds of morning did run past broken bells hacking creaking breath the Floridian winters Did watch an orange death of day get vacuumed into darkness did hear night sounds night critters, nighttime filling did fall deeper into this loverhood, this place of fleshness did lose myself between legs did intend the way I am wild eyed and extinctual at voices crumbling cliff did tongue a blue vein did suckle in the black fur of night did enter the blood of your month did straighten my spine as shower steam held us did wear life's red lipstick lying naked under clouds, grappling the moon.

[Major Jackson]

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. Find us on Instagram, LoadownShow and blue [e-mail].

[Micah]

Hi everyone, it's Micah, 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.