Skip to main content
Poets.org

mobileMenu

  • Poems
  • Poets
  • Poem-a-Day
  • National Poetry Month
  • Materials for Teachers
  • Literary Seminars
  • American Poets Magazine

Main navigation

  • Poets.org
  • Academy of American Poets
  • National Poetry Month
  • American Poets Magazine

User account menu

  • Log in
  • Membership
  • Donate
Donate
Poets.org

Poem-a-Day

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

Page submenu block

  • find poems
  • find poets
  • poem-a-day
  • literary seminars
  • materials for teachers
  • poetry near you

Poem-a-day

Why Say That

why say that 
under 
what authority 
do you mean 
seeing 
who sees

a lifelike figure 
struck by 
lightning or coincidence 
a man 
open 
in his pockets 
in an empty room

outside 
seen from the inside 
is complex 
outside 
looking towards the inside 
is simple

~~

what penetrates him

a nice day?

with a wave with a waste 
of his hands

folderollicles away 
down

Mr. janitor 
jingles

desperate

I’ll monster you with my

ruff 
rough ruff

~~

I find myself

smiling

cat in sun

pleasure

like a little animal

comes up

like a big animal

chin glistening

yellow in the day

blue at night

Copyright © 2025 by Fiona Templeton. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on July 22, 2025, by the Academy of American Poets.

read the rest

Fiona Templeton

Fiona Templeton
Courtesy of Hugo Glendinning
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Tumblr
  • View print mode
  • Copy embed code
Add to anthology

Sign up for Poem-a-Day

* indicates required

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Poem-a-Day is the original and only daily digital poetry series featuring over 250 new, previously unpublished poems by today’s talented poets each year.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
The Creek in Shirley Canyon Robert Hass 01/31/2025
Pears Catherine Bowman 01/30/2025
Apophasis Now James Hannaham 01/29/2025
Poem in Which My Mother Snapped Denise Duhamel 01/28/2025
An inauspicious day from the get-go Hisham Bustani 01/27/2025
The Smile of Innocence Lucretia Maria Davidson 01/26/2025
Star-Magic Richard Butler Glaenzer 01/25/2025
Hoops with Nets Mark Halliday 01/24/2025
The Houseguest Marci Calabretta Cancio-Bello 01/23/2025
HOLYHEADHARRIET Ashley M. Jones 01/22/2025

Pagination

  • First page « First
  • Previous page ‹ Previous
  • …
  • Page 17
  • Page 18
  • Page 19
  • Page 20
  • …
  • Next page Next ›
  • Last page Last »

Newsletter Sign Up

Support Us

  • Become a Member
  • Donate Now
  • Get Involved
  • Make a Bequest
  • Advertise with Us

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • SoundCloud
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Footer

  • poets.org

    • Find Poems
    • Find Poets
    • Poetry Near You
    • Jobs for Poets
    • Literary Seminars
    • Privacy Policy
    • Press Center
    • Advertise
  • academy of american poets

    • About Us
    • Programs
    • Prizes
    • First Book Award
    • James Laughlin Award
    • Ambroggio Prize
    • Chancellors
    • Staff
  • national poetry month

    • Poetry & the Creative Mind
    • Dear Poet Project
    • Poster
    • 30 Ways to Celebrate
    • Sponsorship
  • american poets

    • Books Noted
    • Essays
    • Advertise
© Academy of American Poets, 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038
poets .org