WATERMARK

a poet’s notebook

Established 02004

inauguration

January 20, 2009

Inaugural Poem * by Elizabeth Alexander

UPDATE: Here, courtesy of RCH, is the poet's version of the poem, with line breaks: Praise Song for the Day. This version, though, is copywrighted, so I don't feel comfortable posting it here — even though it seems to me that this poem, of any, should belong to any of us. So below is the… Continue reading

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“Art Journaling for Less” digi, Inaugural Poem, inauguration, poetry, President Obama

DISCLAIMERS:

Artificial Intelligence

I do not use AI to write. I believe writing is thinking, and I prefer to do my own. If/when I post anything here that I suspect or know to be AI generated, I will tell you.

Poems

Please do not assume that I am the speaker/ subject of my poems.

In these times of creative nonfiction and fictionalized memoirs, I think of the poem itself as true fiction: it is most likely not factual, but it must be true.

It is likely to be — it is best if it is — a truth I did not know before I wrote, and may not understand even then.

A poem is my way of discovering (dis-covering) what I feel; sometimes, what I think — but it is not necessarily biographical.

inauguration

Inaugural Poem * by Elizabeth Alexander