Best Devondra Podcasts (2026)

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Memories & Not Enough (w/Abbe) 36:28

Play Pause

16d ago36:28

36:28

The show's first ever non-official guest when Aaron and Dave were still figuring everything out, makes her official return! Aaron walked the dog on a very cold day to coax Abbe back with some of her private- and one public- poem from years ago. These memories may have been better forgotten, but here they are for all to hear. My Bad Poetry Episode 8…

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Photo Stock & Parallel Poetry Universe (w/Erick Phillips Garske) 39:07

1M ago39:07

39:07

Is it enigmatic, melodramatic, or just plain problematic? Listen as Dave and Aaron try to navigate a treacherous imitation of a Joni Mitchell text provided by their guest Erick Garske. Then they all fall into a parallel universe that is either a utopia or dystopia and the lack of clarity may be the reason its on the show! My Bad Poetry Episode 8.7:…

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The Doves, Waterline, & Fall is the Best Season (w/Kristin LaTour) 47:43

2M ago47:43

47:43

The poems started out as one may expect...then Dave and Aaron found themselves faced with a poem of a very different nature. They kind of forgot the original goal was to record this episode on Halloween... but Kristin didn't! :) My Bad Poetry Episode 6.8: "The Doves, Waterline, & Fall is the Best Season (w/Kristin LaTour)" End Poem from a Real Poet…

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Counter-Me, The 21st Century, and a Draft of a Eulogy (w/Rory Philstrom) 48:24

2M ago48:24

48:24

After an unplanned hiatus Dave and Aaron return with Rory Philstrom aka the Dungeon Master Pastor. But rather than lead the podcast through a campaign, Rory leads them through three poems spanning nearly 20 years. All in the 21st Century though. My Bad Poetry Episode 8.5: Counter-Me, The 21st Century, and a Draft of a Eulogy (w/Rory Philstrom) End …

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I Find Your Photo..., After Life, and Duality (w/ Donna Vorreyer) 48:41

3M ago48:41

48:41

The show is visited this week by a host of another poetry reading show (A Hundred Pitchers of Honey), demonstrating a duality in poetry. Donna talks about good poems on her show, on this show... not so much. Donna brings three poems that fail in different ways, only to demonstrate how each one of those failures can be remedied with a final poem tha…

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Sharin' Ain'T Carin', Libras Rule, & F.I.U.G. (w/ Devondra Banks) 40:32

3M ago40:32

40:32

The show continues its streak of choral lyricists with Devondra Banks... but the works she brings to the show don't quite sing. To be honest, Dave and Aaron actually enjoy most of these contributions as good poems but it's also understandable why Devondra may find these... cringe. End Poem From a Real Poet: "Sage" by Devondra Banks My Bad Poetry Ep…

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How to Euthanize a Butterfly 26:07

4M ago26:07

26:07

Aaron and Dave both bring somewhat macabre poems to the podcast this week. Dave wrote an "After" poem based on Tony Silvestri's old opening lines to a sonnet and Aaron is inspired by an unexpected web search. The name of the poem kind of describes itself... but the suggestions might surprise you. My Bad Poetry Episode 8.2: "How to Euthanize a Butte…

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A Fifth Anthem Verse (w/ Tony Silvestri) 40:32

4M ago40:32

40:32

Dave and Aaron return after a short hiatus for Season 8 of My Bad Poetry with a new guest! He brings to the show a long forgotten start to a sonnet and sings (!) a failed attempt at a fifth and final verse of the Star Spangled Banner. My Bad Poetry Episode 8.1: "A Fifth Anthem Verse (w/ Tony Silvestri)" End Poems from a Real Poet: "Sleep" and "For …

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The Return of Pain 27:05

6M ago27:05

27:05

Dave and Aaron find a Friday in the summer to record a season seven wrap up episode! We started this season with the Silence Saga poem but what we may have all forgotten is that Aaron wrote a second poem that same day. The hosts return to this text with... nostalgia? They also look back over another incredible season of guests! My Bad Poetry Episod…

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I Hear Trees Are Good Metaphors & Symbols & Such (w/ Mitchell Nobis) 43:17

6M ago43:17

43:17

Mitchell Nobis makes his triumphal return on the week of his debut poetry collections publication! In honor of this momentous occasion, Mitch thought it would be nice to bring a few poems that didn't make the cut for this debut... It's hard not to see why. My Bad Poetry Episode 7.19: "I Hear Trees Are Good Metaphors & Symbols & Such (w/ Mitchell No…

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A Limerick, Haiku, and Song, O My! (w/ the co-founders of Scribente Maternum) 50:32

7M ago50:32

50:32

Rachel Berg Scherer, Elizabeth Doerr, and Carla Du Pree,grace My Bad Poetry with their incredible presence. The co-founders of Scribente Maternum talk about how they each “write like a mother” and have created a space for moms of all types to do the same. Each bring poems of different styles and degrees of “bad” for Aaron and Dave to sift through. …

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Four Hastily Written Poems (A Mini Episode) 3:47

7M ago3:47

3:47

For proof that this show is not on permanent hiatus, Aaron shares some fun poems written by him and his daughter on Father's Day. How do you think we all did? This mini episode was inspired by "Dino Poet: A Graphic Novel" by Tom Angleberger. My Bad Poetry Episode 7.17.5: "Four Hastily Written Poems (A Mini Episode)" Podcast Email: mybadpoetry.thepo…

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You Can Throw Me a Huge Party 31:48

7M ago31:48

31:48

Dave brings his first ever "poem" from youth/yesteryear to the show and it's kind of clear how Aaron and Dave became such good friends. A pop parody of Plato's Apology? ...priceless My Bad Poetry Episode 7.17: "You Can Throw Me a Huge Party" End Poem by a Real Poet: "The Hour of Departure..." -Apology by Plato. Line 42 Translation: Jowett Podcast E…

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The Word of God (written by Aaron) 29:44

8M ago29:44

29:44

If one can get past the blasphemous title... you are met with a pretty blanned poem. Dave and Aaron are back to the old swing of things with a dug up poem from Aaron's past. And of all the ones found... this probably should have remained lost. An epic fail of an epic poem for a freshman college class. Enjoy! My Bad Poetry Episode 7.16: "The Word of…

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What You Wanted, In the Winter, God Shows Off, & Double Barrier (w/ Taylor Byas) 42:16

8M ago42:16

42:16

Dave and Aaron learn that good sonnets do not always make for great poems. While these poems may be technical to a tee, Taylor cringes at missed opportunities, as one may flinch at their own distorted reflection in the Bean. You know that famous art work in Chicago? My Bad Poetry Episode 7.15 "What You Wanted, In the Winter, God Shows Off, & Double…

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A Prayer & Coupling with Big Ben (w/ Katie Manning) 37:59

8M ago37:59

37:59

Katie brings some really fun poems to the show that frankly aren't bad at all! Embarrassing...maybe... but even that is up for debate. What isn't up for debate is the phallic shape... found in both?? Katie also teaches Aaron and Dave the word "majusculation," which is a very fancy word for a pretty common thing! My Bad Poetry Episode 7.14 "A Prayer…

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life is bigger than you, if we're being honest (w/ Matthew E. Henry) 45:55

9M ago45:55

45:55

Though Dave had to duck out early Matthew brought enough nerdiness for the both of them. MEH makes a triumphant return with poems from the cutting room floor. They are random, they are obscure, they are just the right kind of quirky for Aaron's taste. Do you think they should be revived? My Bad Poetry Episode 7.13: "life is bigger than you, if we'r…

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Graceful & Awkward (w/ Emily) 32:42

9M ago32:42

32:42

The two titles combined kind of of speak for themselves, when describing the topics of these poems. Dave and Aaron are graced with the presence of a friend who (having listened to the show before it was a show) finally took a turn in the hot seat with some of her works from college. Though Emily claims she has never been a poet, these poems... beg …

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It's Surreal to be Hit Gently with a Rose (w/ Ariel Treece) 41:32

9M ago41:32

41:32

If ever you need to find bad poetry Ariel suggests long ago posts on the old social media sites. Even if you have deleted Live Journal and Myspace, don't worry you may have left something on the good old notes pages on Facebook. Dave and Aaron discuss with Ariel the deep lyricism of Dashboard Confessional and the cliches of chick flicks. My Bad Poe…

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I could write... I want to tell...& Untitled #1 (w/Shaawan Francis Keahna) 49:04

9M ago49:04

49:04

Shaawan brings three interesting poems to the podcast. With no real titles to work with, the hosts and guest sort through words from Shaawan's high school journals. Maybe he could have wrote a song... but he most definitely wrote these!!! End Poem from a Real Poet: "There will always be another horror..." by Shaawan Francis Keahna published on pg. …

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Asterisk, Etiologies, & Octave with Line from a Lullaby (w/Alina Ștefănescu) 49:04

10M ago49:04

49:04

Alina Ștefănescu, brings three very different examples of "bad" poetry. One struggling with voice, another structure, and one context. Without Dave, Aaron and Alina work through these varying verses to see how ideas sometimes rightly remain in the drafts folders for a later day or a note to something new. My Bad Poetry Episode 7.9: "Asterisk, Etiol…

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Broken hearted and numb, Dark Skies, & Where I'm From (w/Risha Nicole) 45:27

10M ago45:27

45:27

Dave and Aaron and overjoyed to have another guest on the show! Risha brings poems from Jr. High that have been shared in classrooms, Watt pad, and Tumbler, but now have found there way to My Bad Poetry. How bad could they be? My Bad Poetry Episode 7.8: "Broken hearted and numb, Dark Skies, & Where I'm From (w/Risha Nicole)" End Poem from a Real Po…

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An Ode to Rage Bait 19:01

10M ago19:01

19:01

After a last minute change in plans, Aaron and Dave find themselves recording with only one hastily written poem prepared to share. Working with what they've got, the show struggles along. What is a sonnet really? Are Reels real? Why watch what one hates? These are the big questions that may made a boiling brain plip-plop. My Bad Poetry Episode 7.7…

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The Draft 23:17

11M ago23:17

23:17

Aaron and Dave try to keep the show light hearted as they dig into a high school assignment about the Vietnam War. Did a high school Aaron give the proper weight and respect to such a severe situation as the draft that effected so many families and young adults? Obviously not... but...the poem could have been worse. My Bad Poetry Episode 7.6: "The …

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What If? (w/ Amelia McCracken) 24:22

11M ago24:22

24:22

While this poem was already shared with the world way back in 2004, now some 21 years later Amelia brings this wonderful LiveJournal entry to Aaron and Dave for our dear listeners to hear. An emo work that asks the deep questions. My Bad Poetry Episode 7.5: "What If? (w/ Amelia McCracken) Since Amelia McCracken has left her emo poetry writing days …

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me 26:28

11M ago26:28

26:28

Probably should have stayed Off the show Even with a format to go by My oh my oh my.... Aaron found an old acrostic poem from an external hard drive. Dave seeks to destroy said hard drive and shares his newest hastily written poem "Cophiskey". My Bad Poetry Episode 7.4 "me" End Poem from a Real Poet: "Acrostic" by Lewis Carroll Podcast Email: mybad…

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How I Like My Coffee 22:45

12M ago22:45

22:45

For the first time in the shows history Dave's poem is in the hot seat. Without a "bad" poem on hand Dave and Aaron use Dave's weekly hastily written poem as fodder. This ode to "brown bean water" is chalk full of terms needing to be defined, and expressions about espresso needing to be explored. My Bad Poetry Episode 7.3: "How I Like My Coffee" En…

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Ein Alptraum 25:52

12M ago25:52

25:52

What does one do when you run out of English poems? Aaron decided to dig up some old German poems from his high school German class. Did he just take his previous emo poetry from the Wolf Journal and translate it to German...? Probably. Either way, it's a new nightmare for poor Dave. Dave also provides one of Aaron's favorite hastily written poem f…

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After The Silence Saga of My Youth 32:39

12M ago32:39

32:39

It's a new season, and Dave and Aaron return from their break with a return to the most talked about topic on the show. That topic being Silence...in that Aaron's previous self wrote 5 different poems about it over several years. The two hosts read through all five previous poems in chronological order before Aaron drops the latest entry into the f…

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Perched Rock, Flask of Salt (w/ Clem Flowers) 46:52

1y ago46:52

46:52

Clem kicks off the show with a poem that is nearly the opposite of a "cake poem." No missing title there. With the other two, Aaron and Dave may find themselves with more familiar styles yet still end up lost in the pregnant stars. Clem then pulls what may be a My Bad Poetry first, having brought an end poem written specifically for the show. My Ba…

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Thursday, Toil and Trouble (w/ Lori D'Angelo) 45:17

1y ago45:17

45:17

Lori joins the show to bring several poems about disappointing days. Running themes are dead end jobs, let downs, and meh moments shine through in these rough poems from her past. Aaron and Dave commiserate with the sentiments but still, the poems... are worthy of this show. My Bad Poetry Episode 6.22 "Thursday, Toil and Trouble (w/ Lori D'Angelo)"…

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Birds 27:50

1y ago27:50

27:50

What sounds does a Nightingale make? Don't ask Aaron and Dave. Aaron digs back into an old external hard drive to find a writing assignment from 2007. One would think that writing for a school assignment may make the poetry better... and at least younger Aaron thought so. To top it all off Birds is the spiritual sister of an early entry in the Wolf…

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JEANS, Rain and umbrella, at my wedding (w/ Madeleine Corley) 52:29

1y ago52:29

52:29

Maddie makes a triumphant return to the show with three phenomenally different “bad” poems from a one and a half year span when she was graduating college. Aaron forgets about basic sentence structure making his critiques, questions, and interpretations of these poems, less than stellar. Luckily, Maddie gave a Master class on linguistics and Dave c…

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Dope Prowl (w/ Seth Perry) 47:12

1y ago47:12

47:12

Seth Perry brings a rap song from his short time as a rapper in the Vancouver scene of the early 00s. In hearing this⁠ artifact from time⁠, Dave and Aaron find themselves in the presence of the one and only Professor Lungz. Did they know that was Seth's rap name before this interview... no... but were they still thrilled to find themselves under hi…

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The Deerfly 20:42

1y ago20:42

20:42

Aaron and Dave are scrapping the bottom of the barrel with one final poem from Aaron's "loose leaf collection". A loosely affiliated group of poems found in a box full of Aaron's school memorabilia. This riddle of a poem fails to take off, much like the ill fated fly who meets an untimely end... Silly old fool! My Bad Poetry Episode 6.18: "The Deer…

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I Want Jesus Back 22:44

1y ago22:44

22:44

This week Aaron brings a poem he remembered writing years ago that took months to find. Whether the search was worth it is up to the listener. Dave and Aaron discuss the odd way previous Aaron tried to use sing songy rhymes to critique incredibly harmful and dangerous theology such as Prosperity Gospel and Christian Nationalism. It definetaly was a…

1
The Cutting Room Floor (Season Six Bloopers So Far...) 15:31

1y ago15:31

15:31

Dave and Aaron couldn't connect this week so Aaron went back through the raw files of season six to pull some of the cut conversations. Some were cut for time, others... well it's pretty obvious once you hear them. Listen carefully to catch some of our amazing guest's laugh for share a story as well! My Bad Poetry Episode 6.16: "The Cutting Room Fl…

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The Plague 28:17

1y ago28:17

28:17

Aaron finds a choice writing assignment circa 3rd-5th grade that is all about the Bubonic Plague! Why? Probably a book called "Battle for the Castle" and a certain poem about invading rats. Dave on the other hand reveals a far deeper knowledge on the subject and completely schools past and present Aaron on the finer details of this deadly plague. M…

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Unfinished Business, Bittersweet, Death. (w/nat raum) 46:48

1+ y ago46:48

46:48

Dave and Aaron are joined this week by the prolific nat raum! nat brings journal poems from highschool that are broad and vague at times, yet deeply ernest in the cringiest ways. Laugh along with us as nat shares their poems and stories as well as their incredible insights and knowledge (as well as some hot takes on obituaries?). My Bad Poetry Epis…

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Silence & Pain 26:13

1+ y ago26:13

26:13

Hello Silence our old friend. If we thought Aaron's dramatic takes started in the Wolf Journal, prepare to be surprised/disappointed. Turns out a 5th grade assignment produced around the same level of emo energy and gave us a proto-Silence saga poem. Dave is begging you all to go write your own bad poetry, so he doesn't have to hear any more of Aar…

1
Orchids and Roses, Work of Art, ... (w/Megan McDermott) 46:21

1+ y ago46:21

46:21

Megan makes her triumphant return to the podcast with not 1, not 2,... but 4 "bad" poems from journals in the past. Each poem brings a different kind of bad, from the structural to the theological. Dave and Aaron struggle to find a real critique for two of them but the other two make up for it. My Bad Poetry Episode 6.12: "Orchids and Roses, Work o…

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The Quartet 25:58

1+ y ago25:58

25:58

With a rescheduled guest, Dave and Aaron return to Aaron's own bad poems. Having been gifted an old box of stuff from home, Aaron has found poems that predate the Wolf Journal. Dave is slightly more sympathetic to a third grade Aaron's writing, but only slightly. Enjoy a quartet of poems from a single loose leaf lined paper. This episode was fun, b…

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Windowless Room, Taos Court, & Algebraic Hymn (w/Adam Shaw) 43:07

1+ y ago43:07

43:07

This week co-host's Dave and Aaron find themselves talking to a person working in the Twin Cities, who has never been to the Twin Cities. And if that isn't a riddle enough, they have to try and figure out his old poems! Adam Shaw brings poems from an old duct taped journal and when these three nerds aren't discussing LOTR's sword names, they are tr…

1
The Seaman's Stray, Minotaur, & Almost (w/Jenny Qi) 52:11

1+ y ago52:11

52:11

After nearly two years of DMs to work out a time, the co-hosts of My Bad Poetry get to chat with Jenny Qi... and it was worth the wait! Jenny brings three poems from three distinct times in her life so one can see the progress of a writer from middle school to after college, and all the pit falls along the way. From personified cats to personified …

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SONNET DCLXVII & Obfuscatory Exegesis (w Jay Parr) 48:41

1+ y ago48:41

48:41

Jay Parr brings their tinkerings with poetry to the show, demonstrating the fun of self referencial poems. While none of them would be considered high art... they really aren't trying to be. A string of bad haiku's bring it home in this exploration in a proser playing with poetry. Also, Dave may have found his favorite poet... CW: The end poem deal…

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HftRR & Dimestore Shaman (w/ Lasara Firefox Allen) 45:00

1+ y ago45:00

45:00

Lasara Firefox Allen brings work from their April 30 in 30 project (30 poems written in 30 days). These hastily written poems may blow most of the stuff Aaron and Dave brings to the show out of the water in quality, nevertheless the saccharin and specificity within prevents the poems from their true potential. Aaron and Dave learn a lot about the a…

1
Hello Best Wishes, (w/william erickson) 45:02

1+ y ago45:02

45:02

To say this experience was surreal would be... partially true? william erickson brings some bad poems from an old chapbook manuscript. Three poems confuse and bewilder Dave and Aaron, but Will's closing poem brings it all full circle with a perfect example of what the previous poems were trying to do! My Bad Poetry Episode 6.6: "Hello Best Wishes, …

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G-d 29:57

1+ y ago29:57

29:57

The co-hosts forgot to book a guest for this episode. Unfortunately that means Aaron had to dig for another failed poem in his life. This poem comes from an abandoned reflection written for a church worship service circa 2018-19. It was never shared and all rejoiced! (Except us who have to hear it now...) My Bad Poetry Episode 6.5 "G-d" End Poem fr…

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Sunday 11:30 Monday Eternity & Oncology (w/ Kellie Scott-Reed) 50:20

1+ y ago50:20

50:20

Kellie Scott-Reed brings a whole lot of laughter and joy to the show, even when her poems were less than happy. An aversion to ernesty in her old poetry leads to some strange twists and turns of phrases, and Aaron and Dave enjoy every moment of the ride. My Bad Poetry Episode 6.4: "Sunday 11:30 Monday Eternity & Oncology (w/ Kellie Scott-Reed)" End…

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Stains, Upon Seeing A Photograph of Charles Bukowski (w/ C.M. Crockford) 43:14

1+ y ago43:14

43:14

Dave and Aaron return from a short break to interview a new guest! Conor aka C. M. Crockford brings some classic cringe and embarrassment with the readings of three uniquely bad poems from the scrap box. From a "faux woke" work to a poorly aged "ode" and all the way to failed song lyrics the hosts are taken on a journey through the work of a Conor …