Academy of American Poets

Excerpt from “Diving into the Wreck” by Adrienne Rich, born #OTD in 1929 Read the full poem: poets.org/poem/diving-wr…

5/16/26 “If we could delve into the granular caves of the asphalt his wheels wheeze on we might see in the crepuscular cracks a twisty little thing we call sorrow”

5/16/26 “If we could delve into the granular caves of the asphalt his wheels wheeze on we might see in the crepuscular cracks a twisty little thing we call sorrow”

What makes a line of poetry feel queer? ⁠ This Pride Month, Dawn Lundy Martin leads a three-part seminar exploring queer and trans poetry through syntax, silence, lineation, and form. Starts June 23. Members save 20%. Register: bit.ly/4fpFBlf

Erroneous order, erroneous chaos that sacks order, erroneous the simple waking to the tyrant attitude of the sun, fatal monster. We thought one thing and it was another, levity. It means nothing, is nothing. —Pablo Medina, translated by Eloisa Amezcua poets.org/poem/1958

Have you listened to “Naqus” by Hamed Sinno on our daily #PoemADay podcast? podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/poe…

5/15/26 “The water remains, But the monks recognize the music.”

If Luther’s day expand to Darwin’s year, Shall that exclude the hope—foreclose the fear? —Herman Melville poets.org/poem/clarel-ep…

The sky was blue, so blue that day And each daisy white, so white, O, I knew that no more could rains fall grey And night again be night. I knew, I knew. Well, if night is night, And the grey skies greyly cry, I have in a book for the candle light, A daisy dead and dry. —Angelina Weld Grimké poets.org/poem/candlelig…

Have you listened to “The Document” by Noor Hindi on our daily #PoemADay podcast? podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/poe…

5/14/26 “Somewhere I am sleeping next to you & you are asking me about death & I am too young too young too young to know loss”⁠

That’s the way it would be, everyone slender as drinking straws nobody leaky or hurting or abjectly religious, everything allbillowyellowyorangeyflowywonderfulness —C. D. Wright poets.org/poem/imaginary…

Wendy Xu reads her poem “Looking at My Father” as a part of the Dear Poet 2026 project. Students can write a letter to Xu in response to her poem, and she will respond to select letters that will be published in a digital booklet. Submissions close tomorrow, May 15: bit.ly/48Ju9g3

Today, I read of scientists’ warnings about the potential dangers of sex robots and thought of you. —Elizabeth Knapp poets.org/poem/my-brain-…

Have you listened to “Antelope Valley Times” by Elizabeth Crawford on our daily #PoemADay podcast? podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/poe…

5/13/26 “I cup my ear to your chest and wait for a wind chime,”

Great meter of the footfalls of men and the tug of stars, Calibrating, in the shifting of an elm’s clutch on sunken boulder, The shaking of putty in the pane and river from bank, the settling Of Time across the dial and soil on the hills —John Ciardi poets.org/poem/night-fre…

Click the link to read “Planting Seeds, Creating Safe Passages” by Sehba Sarwar, 2025 Poet Laureate Fellow and Co-Poet Laureate of Altadena, California: bit.ly/3Pyh9Ui

Love is the same and does not keep that name I keep that name and I am not the same A shadow of ice exchanges the color of light, Love’s figure to begin the absent night. —Bernadette Mayer, born #OTD in 1945 poets.org/poem/midwinter…

Have you listened to “The Land Gave Birth” by Ahmad Ibsais on our daily #PoemADay podcast? podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/poe…