Audio Poem of the Day / FOR / AFTER / JAN BEATTY /
Jan 5, 2026
Richard Blanco delivers a raw and emotional poem filled with confessions of anger and personal wounds. He directly addresses Jan, acknowledging past poetic failures while rejecting empty social niceties. With vivid imagery, he embraces childhood wonder and reflects on complex feelings toward his elderly mother and the legacy of exile. Regret flows as he recalls unspoken love for his father and gathers familial silences into poignant words. The poem transforms painful family dynamics into a narrative of endurance and resilience.
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Tequila-Fueled Poetic Confrontation
- Richard Blanco describes drinking tequila and ranting as he confronts poetic omissions and personal anger.
- He lashes out verbally while interrogating why poems fail to say hard truths directly.
Politeness Versus Brutal Honesty
- Blanco realizes his poems avoid direct harshness even as life demands blunt language.
- He exposes a tension between poetic niceties and the need for raw truth in expression.
Compassionate Lines And Private Frustrations
- Blanco recounts how his poems respond to children, strangers, and elders with patience and compassion.
- He contrasts those forgiving lines with his private frustration and familial complexities.