[encore] 684: I Would Do Anything For Love, But I Won't by Traci Brimhall

Summary

Summary of Episode 684: "[Encore] I Would Do Anything For Love, But I Won't" by Traci Brimhall

Release Date: June 13, 2025
Podcast: The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily
Host: Major Jackson
Poem Featured: "I Would Do Anything For Love, But I Won't" by Tracy Brimhall

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Introduction

In this encore episode of The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily, host Major Jackson revisits a cherished poem from the show's archives during Ada Limón's tenure as host. This selection, "I Would Do Anything For Love, But I Won't" by Tracy Brimhall, offers a profound exploration of personal boundaries within the landscape of love and relationships. Major Jackson sets the stage by highlighting Ada Limón's thoughtful approach to poetry, ensuring both longtime listeners and newcomers find value in this reflective journey.

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Poem Recitation and Analysis

"I Would Do Anything For Love, But I Won't" delves into the intricacies of maintaining individuality and personal limits within a romantic partnership. Through vivid imagery and candid declarations, the poem balances the depths of love with the necessity of preserving one's autonomy.

Themes Explored:

• Personal Boundaries: The poem emphasizes the importance of setting and respecting individual limits in a relationship.
• Mutual Respect: It underscores the value of honoring each other's unique preferences and idiosyncrasies.
• Balancing Love and Self: The narrative illustrates how love thrives when both partners maintain their identities and personal spaces.

Major Lines and Insights:

• Commitment with Limits:
  "I would do anything for love, but I won't cook lobster."
  (02:00)
  This line introduces the poem's central theme: unwavering love coupled with specific boundaries.

• Acts of Care Beyond the Ordinary:
  "But I'll shower hot enough to brighten you, make zinnias of your shoulders and steal the towels when it's over your water tattooed back a garden before it fades."
  (02:50)
  Here, Brimhall paints a picture of affectionate gestures that honor both partners' needs and comforts.

• Preservation of Personal Habits and Beliefs:
  "I won't give up coffee or pistachios or my dog."
  (03:25)
  This declaration highlights the importance of maintaining personal joys and routines within a relationship.

• Acknowledgment of Differences:
  "I won't let you say Pluto is not a planet."
  (04:28)
  Brimhall uses light-hearted disagreements to show that differences can coexist harmoniously.

• Enduring Through Challenges:
  "I won't kiss anyone after you die. For at least 60 days and probably longer."
  (04:48)
  This poignant line reflects the depth of commitment and the respectful mourning process after loss.

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Host's Reflections

Major Jackson introduces the poem by appreciating Ada Limón's "thoughtfulness and deep love of poetry," setting an intimate tone for the episode (01:01). By revisiting this particular poem, Jackson invites listeners to contemplate the delicate balance between self and other in the realm of love.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Major Jackson on Ada Limón's Hosting:
  "Her thoughtfulness and deep love of poetry made her time on the show very special."
  (01:01)

• Ada Limón on Private Language:
  "I love that private language, that lexicon."
  (01:29)

• Tracy Brimhall's Declaration of Boundaries:
  "I won't shave anything unless I feel like it, But I'll wax whatever part of your body you request."
  (03:04)

• Acceptance of Shared Imperfections:
  "Let's accept repeating puzzles we've already finished."
  (04:09)

• Embracing Mutual Quirks:
  "And I can feed the sourdough starter we named Gizmo."
  (04:17)

• Commitment Amidst Differences:
  "I won't release balloons when you die, because I love sea turtles almost as much as you."
  (04:35)

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Conclusion

This episode of The Slowdown masterfully intertwines the recitation of Tracy Brimhall's "I Would Do Anything For Love, But I Won't" with insightful reflections on love's complexities. Through the poem's honest exploration of boundaries and commitments, listeners are encouraged to appreciate the nuanced dance between giving and preserving oneself within relationships. Major Jackson's thoughtful presentation honors both the poet's intentions and the enduring legacy of The Slowdown as a sanctuary for poetic contemplation.

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Additional Information

Listeners are reminded that The Slowdown is a collaborative production by American Public Media in partnership with The Poetry Foundation, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. To continue enjoying daily poetry and reflection, subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and join the community through their newsletter and social media channels.

Transcript

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[Podcast Host]

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[Podcast Host]

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[Podcast Host]

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[Major Jackson]

Wherever you get your podcasts 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 am often laughing with my husband about our own idiosyncrasies, the part of us that only we know, the things that could never be said to anyone else but each other. I love that private language, that lexicon.

[Tracy Brimhall]

My private moments, his private moments. I have it with good friends, too. The things that don't require explanation. That's the real history of us.

[Ada Limon]

In today's poem, we see the private language of habits, desires, and boundaries unfold. I love how this poem gives us a glimpse into the private world of love. This is a poem by Tracy Brimhall. I would do anything for love, but I won't cook lobster. They're loyal sea rubies and deserve better than a pinch of lemon and herbed butter. But I'll shower hot enough to brighten you, make zinnias of your shoulders and steal the towels when it's over your water tattooed back a garden before it fades. I won't shave anything unless I feel like it, But I'll wax whatever part.

[Tracy Brimhall]

Of your body you request.

[Ada Limon]

I'm not an empath so I won't.

[Tracy Brimhall]

Cry when I do it. I'll let your pain be yours.

[Ada Limon]

I won't give up coffee or pistachios or my dog. I know you wouldn't ask, but I like to be upfront about my boundaries. I bark mine like a seagull touching.

[Tracy Brimhall]

My books, my mother's china, my chest.

[Ada Limon]

But you're fine with kindness.

[Tracy Brimhall]

You wait for me to feel safe. I will always let you tease me about talking to my plants when I water them.

[Ada Limon]

If you let me tease the way your hips go stiff when we salsa.

[Tracy Brimhall]

But even then I won't plan another trip to Rome with you. Not this year anyway. Not after we've given back the tickets and calendars, dinners and sunburns we thought were waiting. Instead, let's accept the mail order lemon trees.

[Ada Limon]

Let's accept repeating puzzles we've already finished.

[Tracy Brimhall]

Try the paloma recipe again. Let's accept it's not what we would.

[Ada Limon]

Do for each other, but what we can can do.

[Tracy Brimhall]

And I can feed the sourdough starter we named Gizmo. You can return my bowl when you.

[Ada Limon]

Washed it, but I won't let you say Pluto is not a planet.

[Tracy Brimhall]

I miss the solar system's symmetry. I won't agree that ghosts aren't real.

[Ada Limon]

Even if you're right.

[Tracy Brimhall]

I like a dose of fear. I like whispering back to the knocks on the wall. I won't release balloons when you die.

[Ada Limon]

Because I love sea turtles almost as much as you.

[Tracy Brimhall]

Maybe it's a tie. I won't kiss anyone after you die.

[Ada Limon]

For at least 60 days and probably longer.

[Tracy Brimhall]

But if I meet someone who smells.

[Ada Limon]

Like you I might invite them into.

[Tracy Brimhall]

The rain and keep my eyes closed.

[Ada Limon]

We can disagree about the shower curtain, can have days without texts. I can chide you about the state of your tomatoes and you can correct the way I say trilobite and the.

[Tracy Brimhall]

Only time I'll run is across the.

[Ada Limon]

Gymnasium in a pink dress and the.

[Tracy Brimhall]

Only time I will give up is in hearts when I count the cards and know your hand and yes, I want to help you shoot 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 @downdownshow and [e-mail] 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, Rebecca Rand and Lauren Humphard. 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.

[Micah Kilbon]

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.