Richard Blanco Inaugural Poem: Text Of One Today

Impact

At Monday's inauguration, Cuban-American poet Richard Blanco recited his poem "One Today." The choice of Blanco as the inaugural poet was symbolic for two reasons; his Cuban-American heritage, and his status as a gay man. Read Blanco's poem "One Today" below. 

One Today

One sun rose on us today, kindled over our shores,

My face, your face, millions of faces in morning's mirrors, 

All of us as vital as the one light we move through, 

One ground. Our ground, rooting us to every stalk

The dust of farms and deserts, cities and plains

Hear: squeaky playground swings, trains whistling, 

One sky: since the Appalachians and Sierras claimed

One sky, toward which we sometimes lift our eyes

We head home: through the gloss of rain or weight