Episode 162: Burma Shave Roadside Bait is a light episode of little ditties from back in the day and today, as we celebrate the roadside sign verse from the Burma Shave company. In the Rural Oklahoma Museum of Poetry’s upcoming exhibit Rhyming and ROMPing on Route 66, we will have a feature on these unique and quirky verses and a way to interact and create your own.

Episode 160: In this, our 4th anniversary episode Things That Frighten You, we begin with a dark poem and conversation about what makes a poem scary. It ‘s not all werewolves and vampires and haunted houses. Sometimes it’s the dread of a terminal disease, the fear of losing a child, the very real possibility of racial violence. A scary poem is specific about the evils we cannot control or that we humans do to one another. A scary poem is about . . . life.

Episode 159: Unshackled from Cash: The Immersive Experience of Live Performance brings you musings and profundity (of a sort) as we discuss poetry readings, live theater, and live performances, in general. This episode was inspired by a line from Nicole Stellon O’Donnell: “Unshackled from cash, poetry can go wherever it pleases.”

Episode 158: In this episode, we are joined by local musician extraordinaire Tom Henry who told us stories and sang poetic songs. He sang, “I’m just not with it. I just don’t get it.” And we don’t either, Tom. He also treated us to “Wild Cherry Wine,” and many other poetic impressions, like “When the Dream Becomes Ours.” Oh people, just listen.

Episode 157: Tom Holland is Not Squalid covers 10 vocabulary words, a host of short and diabolically pithy poems, and Shaun having allergy sneezes, while Bill attempts to keep his papers dry and clarify the meaning of “scintillate.” In short, just the kind of entertainment you need right now.

Episode 156: Wishes and Eyeore is a poetic discussion of wishes and the desire for and the striving for. A “wish” is not a naïve thing. It is a necessary thing, an adult thing, a beautiful thing, even when it is necessarily unlovely. Does this not make any sense? Then, listen, and it will.

Episode 155: Shake Your Catoosa is a bit about Route 66 attractions and the upcoming poetry exhibit Rhyming on Route 66 and is also about just getting out there and being amongst people, especially people you are not used to. Get out there and shake your catoosa and be alive while you’re living your life.

Episode 154: Call Me Nightmare explores 4 impromptu poems written by attendees of PopCon Indy in Indianapolis this June 2025. Your co-hosts Shaun and Bill revel in the imagery despite the brain fog of trying to learn how to line dance the night before. Trust us, it will all make sense when you listen. And if it doesn’t, that’s probably all right, too.