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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

A Song [I was want]

I was want
ing the most
bare language
threaded bare
ly there a bar
on in english
everywhere I
went I langu
ished in a war
rent of a lang
uage I did or
did not want
once in ame
rica there w
as a language
we were guilt
y I spoke it y
ou were there

Copyright © 2026 by Jos Charles. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on June 25, 2026, by the Academy of American Poets. 

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Jos Charles

Jos Charles
Photo credit: Sergio de la Torre
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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Poem-a-Day is the original and only daily digital poetry series featuring over 250 new, previously unpublished poems by today’s talented poets each year. Sam Sax is the Guest Editor for June. Read or listen to a Q&A with Sax about their curatorial process, and learn more about the 2026 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
For the Child’s Mole Geffrey Davis 03/26/2019
A Louder Thing Tiana Clark 03/25/2019
The Changing Light Lawrence Ferlinghetti 03/24/2019
Triple Moments of Light and Industry Brenda Hillman 03/23/2019
The Poem Grace Interrupted Mikko Harvey 03/22/2019
Poof Amy Gerstler 03/21/2019
We Were All Odysseus in Those Days Amorak Huey 03/20/2019
Portrait in Nightshade and Delayed Translation C. Dale Young 03/19/2019
My Son Wants to Know Who His Biological Father Is Blas Falconer 03/18/2019
Variation on a Theme W. S. Merwin 03/17/2019

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