Today’s poem is selected by Brian Tierney (Brian Tierney) as part of the 20th anniversary of Read A Little Poetry. We share this poem in celebration of W.S. Merwin's birthday today, September 30th. “Rain Light” appeared in The New Yorker, 2008. Shared here with deep gratitude.

a few words on Merwin’s “rain light” which means a lot to me. also it’s his bday happy bday king

Coffee, sunglasses, gauloises— and the lover's room. What could be more appropriate for the first day of autumn?

digging this Donika Kelly #poem

i aspire to look this miserable all the time

SOUTHSIDE CHICAGO — Windy City residents run off immigration agents to save a man mid-abduction at 63rd and Kostner Ave.

the social media era conflates popularity with talent (which seems preeminently capitalist) and perhaps that’s why nearly all pop music, by and large, is so goddamn boring

remix fragments of Louise Gluck’s “October”

the idea of a ceasefire in a genocide completely misses what a genocide is

what fucking irreality are we living in?

Dems and other clueless people out here thinking that fascists, the ones abducting people without due process and disappearing them forever and sending the army into cities they don’t like to spread mass fear and panic, are going to allow free elections jfc

1382: Lamb by Richie Hofmann | The Slowdown slowdownshow.org/episode/2025/1…

I’m so sad to hear that the poet Ellen Bryant Voigt has died. I knew her only slightly. When her friend Louise Glück died, two years ago, she and I spoke on my podcast about fate, and loss, and poetry. I think about that conversation all the time. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clo…

This is correct. They are not anonymous donors. They are secret donors. And secret donors almost always want something in return.

instead of looking at the truth of the stats that many working people in America can’t even afford food for themselves and children because they aren’t paid a living wage, republicans (voters and politicians) say “they should get a job.” the moral depravity

And then, white Jesus said, "If your neighbor is hungry, starve him to death to accrue political power." - The MAGA Bible

Adding this remarkable sonnet by Alfred G. Bailey to the list of sinister elm poems posted here of late. One of Canada's leading modernist poets, Bailey was not only a key figure in the New Brunswick literary scene, he also founded The Fiddlehead. 🎃🌳

it’s just been one long Red Scare since the early 1950s because the money powers of America know capitalism is a ruse and if people wake up to that ruse there’ll be very busy guillotines in every inch of this country

ding dong the Dick is dead