[encore] 664: Prayer Beginning with a Line by Czaykowski by Pablo Piñero Stillmann

Summary

Podcast Summary: [encore] 664: Prayer Beginning with a Line by Czaykowski by Pablo Piñero Stillmann

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily
• Host/Author: American Public Media
• Episode: [encore] 664: Prayer Beginning with a Line by Czaykowski by Pablo Piñero Stillmann
• Release Date: July 4, 2025

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Introduction

In this encore episode of The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily, listeners are treated to a poignant reflection originally hosted by Ada Limón. Although Major Jackson is the current host, this episode revisits the evocative commentary and poetry that characterized Ada Limón’s tenure. The episode centers around Pablo Piñero Stillmann’s poem, "Prayer Beginning with a Line by Czaykowski," offering deep insights into themes of desperation, pleasure, and the search for solace.

Ada Limón’s Reflection

[01:22]
Ada Limón opens the episode by introspectively addressing the pervasive quest for happiness in our modern lives. She paints a vivid picture of individuals striving for fleeting pleasures, often seeking quick fixes to fulfill deeper emotional needs.

"When it comes to savor it, I think it might be working too. At least I hope it is."
— Ada Limón [03:15]

She reflects on her teenage years, using the metaphor of sitting on a rooftop to illustrate a yearning for both connection and isolation. This duality speaks to the human condition of feeling simultaneously part of and apart from the world.

"I could watch as tourists walked into various shops and I could hear the chef named Curtis down below singing his country songs as loud as he could."
— Ada Limón [04:05]

Ada delves into the concept of prayer as a form of personal solace, likening it to moments of quiet reflection where one seeks relief and a sense of wholeness.

Presentation of the Poem

[04:45]
Ada introduces Pablo Piñero Stillmann’s poem, "Prayer Beginning with a Line by Czaykowski," framing it as a heartfelt plea for relief and understanding. She emphasizes the poem’s repetition as a technique that conveys both desperation and a lingering hope for comfort.

Analysis and Insights

Themes of Desperation and Hope
The poem navigates the delicate balance between desperation and the yearning for joy. Through repetitive pleas, the speaker seeks divine intervention, hoping for a temporary reprieve from their struggles.

"Throw me into a cloud, O Lord, with those awkward hands of yours that mean ought yet are of it all."
— Pablo Piñero Stillmann [04:55]

The Metaphor of Weather
Rain serves as a potent metaphor in the poem, symbolizing both cleansing and the persistent challenges that remind us of our vulnerabilities.

"O Lord, make the rain fall harder, O Lord, wetter as a reminder of our unreliability."
— Pablo Piñero Stillmann [05:10]

Embracing Imperfection
The poem’s request for divine laughter as the speaker falters underscores a human acceptance of imperfection and the cathartic release that comes from acknowledging one’s flaws.

"O Lord, to laugh as you watch me slip and fall and slip and once again fall and laugh again as you watch me gather what's left of my belongings."
— Pablo Piñero Stillmann [05:25]

Conclusion

Ada Limón beautifully intertwines personal reflection with poetic analysis, inviting listeners to find solace in moments of vulnerability. By exploring the depths of Stillmann’s poem, she encourages a slow, intentional savoring of pleasure and an acceptance of life’s inherent imperfections. This episode serves as a gentle reminder of the power of poetry to illuminate our shared human experiences and guide us toward greater self-awareness and empathy.

Key Quotes with Timestamps

• Ada Limón: "When it comes to savor it, I think it might be working too. At least I hope it is."
  [03:15]

• Ada Limón: "I could watch as tourists walked into various shops and I could hear the chef named Curtis down below singing his country songs as loud as he could."
  [04:05]

• Pablo Piñero Stillmann: "Throw me into a cloud, O Lord, with those awkward hands of yours that mean ought yet are of it all."
  [04:55]

• Pablo Piñero Stillmann: "O Lord, make the rain fall harder, O Lord, wetter as a reminder of our unreliability."
  [05:10]

• Pablo Piñero Stillmann: "O Lord, to laugh as you watch me slip and fall and slip and once again fall and laugh again as you watch me gather what's left of my belongings."
  [05:25]

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Produced by: APM Studios in partnership with The Poetry Foundation
Support: National Endowment for the Arts
Find More: Visit slowdownshow.org and follow @slowdownshow on Instagram.

Transcript

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[Podcast Host]

Hi there. It's major today. We're reaching into the archives to bring you an episode from Ada Limone's time as host. I'm thrilled to revisit one of her episodes with you. And don't worry, the team is hard at work on a relaunch with a new host.

[Ada Limon]

I'm Ada Limon and this is the slowdown. As so many of us work to persist on the hedonic treadmill to find more pleasure, to find some sort of happiness, it sometimes feels like we are acting out of desperation. Maybe this will fix me. Maybe this. What about microdosing or microdermabrasion? Maybe something micro will fix the micro. Me. In this macro world, I am guilty of all of this. I want to be made better. I want the world to be made better. I want a quick fix or even just a fix. A slow fix would do just fine. What I am learning to do, however, is lean into pleasure a little. When it comes to savor it, I think it might be working too. At least I hope it is. I remember once when I was 15 and unsure of whom to ask for things. God, goddesses, the universe, the ocean. I remember I'd climb out onto my rooftop and stare at the clouds and then turn to watch people down below. I loved that rooftop because I was in the sky and in the world at the same time. I could watch as tourists walked into various shops and I could hear the chef named Curtis down below singing his country songs as loud as he could. I was both in the world and not in the world. And at 15, that's exactly what I needed. I remember finding that song you song by Elton John with the second verse that started, I sat on the rooftop and kicked off the moss. Well, a few of these verses, well, they got me quite cross, and I felt like those lyrics were made just for me. Someone sitting on a rooftop all up in her own feelings. I think about that rooftop a lot because it was where I learned my version of prayer. I would ask the clouds and the sky for a good life I'd ask the clouds and the sky to be okay. Today's poem is that kind of prayer, a prayer for pleasure, for the brief moment of relief to be made whole again. In this poem's repetition, we hear the desperation, but also the song prayer beginning with a line by Tchaikovsky by Pablo Pinero Stillman Throw me into a cloud, O Lord, with those awkward hands of yours that mean ought yet are of it all, O Lord, make the rain fall harder, O Lord, wetter as a reminder of our unreliability and I'm even begging you, O Lord, to laugh as you watch me slip and fall and slip and once again fall and laugh again as you watch me gather what's left of my belongings, O Lord, Lord, all clouds are at arm's length, oh Lord, I guess that's what you'd been trying to tell me, O Lord but oh Lord, you're so coy in this new cloud, oh Lord, my home, oh Lord, make it seem as if all will be well oh Lord, lie to me, O Lord, I promise, oh Lord, I'll still see but even if it's only for a moment, oh Lord, let me gorge on this honey before realizing just how deep I've been stung.

[Podcast Host]

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 @downdownshow and blueskylowdownshow.org our lead producer is Micah Kilbon and our associate producer is Maria Wortel. Music for Ada's tenure by Hannis Brown. Engineering by Josh Savageau. Our digital producer is James Napoli. Additional production help by Susanna Sharpless and Lauren Humpert. Special thank you to former Slowdown producers Jennifer Lai and Tracy Mumford, who critically shaped the show. You know, today, our executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Cavati and Joanne Griffith.

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