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Poem-a-Day

The only daily poetry series publishing new work by today’s poets.

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Poem-a-day

There’s no “sass” in “dissociation.”

three feet behind my grin I speak
so seems my teeth is down for it
but it’s a make-do I do.
I DM P. L. Dunbar on some 
whatchu mean “we?” no—
really, though. the rough metric
opening this a lie to make 
done the otherwise I say I is.
yet, the we I been subtweets 
me—“whatchu mean ‘I?’”—
answer’s off my tongue, so: 
authentic, no? where “fine,” “OK,”
“yes” get forged? I split my difference
between here and gone, 
a distance of hard words 
hissed; presence of the harms’
numb climb: I’m fine, I’m fine.

Copyright © 2025 by Douglas Kearney. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on July 10, 2025, by the Academy of American Poets.

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Douglas Kearney

Douglas Kearney
Photo credit: Krizia Studios
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About Poem-a-Day

Poem-a-Day is the original and only daily digital poetry series featuring over 250 new, previously unpublished poems by today’s talented poets each year. Khadijah Queen is the Guest Editor of July. Read or listen to a Q&A with Queen about her curatorial process, and learn more about the 2025 Guest Editors. Support Poem-a-Day.  

If you have any questions about Poem-a-Day, visit our Poem-a-Day FAQ.

Previous Poems

Title Author Date
Remember the Boys Rachel McKibbens 01/23/2020
Winter Constance Merritt 01/22/2020
When We’re in Bed and You Take Out Your Mouth Guard, I Know It’s On Melissa Crowe 01/21/2020
Bird Niki Herd 01/20/2020
Music Alice Cary 01/19/2020
Thoughts Myra Viola Wilds 01/18/2020
Sestina Marci Nelligan 01/17/2020
Brown Love Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha 01/16/2020
Foley Catheter Kimberly Johnson 01/15/2020
Nice Voice Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner 01/14/2020

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