
1533: The Good Life by Tracy K. Smith
From The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily by American Public Media
June 9, 2026 · 5 min
About this episode
This episode features the poem 'The Good Life' by Tracy K. Smith, reflecting on memories and the essence of love and joy.
Today’s poem is The Good Life by Tracy K. Smith. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, guest host Diannely Antigua writes… “When my grandmother took us kids to the pharmacy, she’d let us pick one snack to share. We always picked raspberry and creme cookies. We’d take our time with them, taking little bites of the buttery shortbread and jammy filling, savoring each one. Sometimes I’ll buy those cookies just to remember how they once tasted like luxury. It’s in these moments that I learned how love moves. It makes meaning out of what’s available, and insists on joy. It makes something out of nothing.” This show is supported by gifts from listeners. Support The Slowdown with a donation and get access to the sponsor-free version of The Slowdown today. Slowdownshow.org/donate
People in this episode
Guest: Diannely Antigua
Topics covered
- poetry
- memory
- love
- joy
- nostalgia
Keywords
- poetry
- Tracy K. Smith
- Diannely Antigua
- The Good Life
- nostalgia
- love
- joy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: American Public Media
More episodes of The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily
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- 1532: Blue by Laura Villareal · June 8, 2026 · 5 min
- 1531: Cheap Magic by Arielle Hebert · June 5, 2026 · 6 min
- 1530: At the End of a Good Week, the Van Broke Down by Mary Ardery · June 4, 2026 · 6 min
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