Video: Richard Blanco Reads Inaugural Poem

Posted on January 21, 2013

Richard Blanco read his poem, "One Today," at the 2013 Inauguration today. Richard Blanco is the youngest inaugural poet. He is also the first Latino and first gay inaugural poet.

The hopeful poem evokes memories of sacrifices parents make for their children. It also discusses the hard work that goes into building our nation. Blanco referenced the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in his poem without specifically naming it: "the impossible vocabulary of sorrow that won't explain the empty desks of twenty children marked absent today, and forever."

Blanco ties the poem together by making references to "one sun," "one ground," "one sky," and "one moon" to highlight how we are all in this together. You can find the full text of Blanco's moving poem here. Take a look: