[encore] 765: a fishing story. by Mia S. Willis

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Episode: [encore] 765: A Fishing Story by Mia S. Willis
Release Date: April 29, 2025
Host: Ada Limón (archive episode from her tenure)

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1. Introduction: Archiving Ada Limón's Tenure

In this encore episode of The Slowdown, former host Ada Limón revisits the podcast archive to share a memorable episode from her time at the helm. Ada's deep appreciation for poetry and her thoughtful presentation style made her episodes resonate profoundly with listeners. This particular episode stands out as a reflection of her personal journey and her ability to intertwine poetry with everyday emotions.

Notable Quote:

"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."
— Ada Limón [00:32]

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2. Ada Limón's Personal Reflection on Anger and Rage

Ada opens the episode with an intimate exploration of her own struggles with anger and rage. She candidly discusses how these intense emotions have been a persistent part of her life, often surfacing unexpectedly and challenging her attempts at maintaining composure. Ada delves into the complexities of managing such feelings, acknowledging both her personal growth and the unwavering support from those close to her.

Key Themes:

• Recognition of Anger: Ada identifies anger as a part of herself that she's not proud of but accepts as real and present.
• Impact on Relationships: She highlights how her husband plays a crucial role in helping her navigate through moments of rage, offering patience and empathy.
• Coping Mechanisms: Over the years, Ada has developed strategies to breathe through anger, isolate herself, or engage in activities like writing to regain her equilibrium.

Notable Quotes:

"It's my temperature, my rage, my anger. I can be rageful, fly off the handle, and even at times scream and cry at the perceived injustices all around me."
— Ada Limón [00:56]

"All my production techniques have flown out every window, scattered like scared little birds in the face of a mean, chaotic bear on the loose in my ribcage."
— Ada Limón [02:15]

"When rage happens to me, it feels as if I am overtaken by some mad animal and I want to take down everyone around me."
— Ada Limón [03:10]

"I can see it coming. I can breathe through it. I can isolate myself or nap or write or scream and then shake it off."
— Ada Limón [04:05]

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3. Introduction to A Fishing Story by Mia S. Willis

Transitioning from her personal narrative, Ada introduces the featured poem, A Fishing Story by Mia S. Willis. She provides a brief overview, setting the stage for the listeners to delve into the poem's themes of identity, struggle, and the desire for understanding.

Notable Quote:

"Today's poem is about imagining oneself as the wild and untamed thing and how someone else might hold you up to the light."
— Ada Limón [04:30]

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4. Analysis of A Fishing Story by Mia S. Willis

A Fishing Story is a poignant exploration of self-perception and the complexities of human experience. The poem employs vivid imagery and metaphor to convey feelings of entrapment, vulnerability, and the often painful process of self-discovery.

Key Themes:

• Identity and the Self: The speaker likens themselves to a sheepshead fish, unconventional and challenging to retain, symbolizing feelings of being misunderstood or out of place.
• Vulnerability: The act of being "cut open" and finding "blood instead of sand" suggests unexpected emotional wounds and the fragility beneath the surface.
• Desire for Return: The reference to carrying "the ground" within implies a deep-rooted longing to return to a place of origin or comfort.
• Conflict and Resistance: The interaction between the speaker and the one who catches them embodies the struggle between personal identity and external perceptions.

Poem Excerpt:

"In this one I am a sheepshead, a freak of nature and hard to hold onto.
In this one you cut open my stomach, gasp when you find blood instead of sand."
— A Fishing Story by Mia S. Willis

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5. Connecting Personal Reflection with the Poem

Ada seamlessly weaves her personal experiences with anger into the narrative of A Fishing Story. Both pieces grapple with internal conflicts and the journey toward understanding and acceptance. Ada's reflection on managing rage parallels the poem's exploration of grappling with one's turbulent emotions and the quest for self-possession.

Notable Insight:

"The poem's depiction of being caught and exposed mirrors my own experiences of being overwhelmed by anger and the subsequent efforts to regain control and understanding."
— Interpretation based on Ada Limón's reflection and the poem.

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6. Conclusion: Embracing Poetry as a Reflective Tool

Through this episode, Ada Limón exemplifies how poetry serves as a mirror to our innermost selves, allowing listeners to pause, reflect, and engage with their emotions. By sharing A Fishing Story, she invites the audience to contemplate their own struggles and the beauty that can emerge from facing and understanding complex feelings.

Closing Thought:

"In sharing these poems, we take a moment to pause and acknowledge the world’s magnitude, and how poets illuminate that mystery."
— From the podcast description

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Final Notes

This episode stands as a testament to Ada Limón's ability to blend personal vulnerability with artistic expression, offering a deeply resonant experience for listeners. Whether grappling with personal emotions or seeking poetic insight, The Slowdown continues to be a sanctuary for reflection and connection through the power of poetry.

Transcript

[Major Jackson]

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[Ada Limon]

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.

I'm Ada Limon and this is the Slowdown. There's something that I keep close to my chest. It's the part of me I am least proud of. And yet I know very well it exists and is sometimes lurking under the surface, ever present in my day to day life. It is my temperature, my rage, my anger. I can be rageful, fly off the handle, and even at times scream and cry at the perceived injustices all around me. There are times when I feel it in me and yet I cannot pinpoint the reason, the evildoer, the subject or object of my anger. I only know that I feel it and it's real. And in that white hot moment of rage, I can be ready to burn it all down. I know no rational mind or deep breathing exercises will work. My meditation techniques have flown out every window, scattered like scared little birds in the face of a mean, chaotic bear on the loose in my ribcage. No one knows my anger more than those closest to me. My sweet husband, who is as patient and as empathetic as they come, always seems to manage to see something from all its angles, to see the best in people, to advocate for humanity. He knows my rage. I wish he didn't, but he does. And when it happens, do you notice the passive voice there? When rage happens to me, it feels as if I am overtaken by some mad animal and I want to take down everyone around me. Throughout the years it's gotten better. I can see it coming. I can breathe through it. I can isolate myself or nap or write or scream and then shake it off. When I was a kid, it was much worse. I was always surprised I didn't light all my clothes on fire in some momentary mind melting rage episode. But somehow even then I was able to return to myself. Eventually, my parents slowly closing the door for me to cry myself to sleep, and now my husband just looking at me, waiting until I say I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me but I was so angry and he nods and forgives me and sometimes I'm a little justified in my tantrum and sometimes I'm not. Either way, he soothes me back to myself and I am grateful every day for his care and his kindness. Today's poem is about imagining oneself as the wild and untamed thing and how someone else might hold you up to the light. A Fishing Story by Mia S. Willis in this one I am a sheepshead, a freak of nature and hard to hold onto. In this one you cut open my stomach, gasp when you find blood instead of sand. According to the legend, I carry the ground in me, so it makes sense that I want to go back. In this one my skin is just a shawl of scales, just a raincoat, just something to keep the salts separate. In this one you push your fingertips past my teeth. I bite down, my empathy atrophies. You curse the day you caught me. In this one we are not careful what we fish for, the sea is not a wetter sky. In this one I am the the deadliest catch.

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 and find us on Instagram atdowndownshow and blueskylowdownshow.org Happy National Poetry Month from all of us at the Slowdown we celebrate National Poetry Month every April, but you rely on the Slowdown for inspiration and insight all year long. Today I'm asking you to give back by making a gift to the Slowdown. Support from listeners like you makes this podcast possible. Contribute [e-mail] donate or find the link in the show Notes. Thank you.