One Today

“One Today” is an inspirational poem by Cuban American poet Richard Blanco. Having been invited to read a poem at the second inauguration of US President Barack Obama at the United States Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 21, 2013, Blanco wrote “One Today” especially for the occasion. It was published in book form as One Today with drawings by Dav Pilkey in 2015. The poem is a celebration of the United States, particularly the unity and diversity of its people. It takes a panoramic look at a typical day in the US from dawn to nightfall as people go about their various occupations. In addition to patriotism, the poem expresses joy, wonder, appreciation, gratitude, and hope for the future, while also mentioning two recent tragedies that shocked the nation. Blanco also finds space to mention himself and his immigrant background (a common theme in his poetry). The poem was well received at the time, and in 2017, the rock band U2 featured it during its Joshua Tree tour of the United States and Europe. “One Today” was one of several poems about the US that were projected onto the stage screens as people entered the stadium for the U2 concert. This guide refers to the version of the poem that appears on the Academy of American Poets website.

Content Warning: This guide discusses the poem’s mentions of 9/11 and a school shooting.

POET BIOGRAPHY

Cuban American poet Richard Blanco was born on February 15, 1968, in Madrid, Spain. His family were Cuban exiles, and they immigrated to the United States when Richard was just over six weeks old. He was raised in Miami, Florida, and he trained as an engineer, earning a degree in civil engineering from Florida International University. He later earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from the same university and thus became both an engineer and a poet.

His first collection of poetry was City of a Hundred Fires (1998), which was awarded the Agnes Starrett Poetry Prize. It was followed by Directions to the Beach of the Dead in 2005, which won the PEN/American Beyond Margins Award. Blanco’s third collection, Looking for the Gulf Motel (2012), received the Thom Gunn Award, the Maine Literary Award, and the Paterson Prize.

In January 2013, Blanco read his poem “One Today” at the inauguration of US President Barack Obama. He was only the fifth poet invited to read at a presidential inauguration and was also the first immigrant and the first Latino. The poem was published in book form as One Today with drawings by Dav Pilkey in 2015. Blanco also published Boston Strong (2013), a chapbook that contains Blanco’s poem presented at the Boston Strong Concert about the Boston Marathon bombing in April of that year. Blanco’s fourth collection of poetry, How to Love a Country, was published in 2019. In 2023, he published Homeland of My Body: New and Selected Poems.

Blanco is also known for his poetry performances. He has written and performed poems for organizations including Freedom to Marry, the Tech Awards, and the Fragrance Awards. Blanco also wrote and read a poem to commemorate the reopening of the US Embassy in Havana, Cuba, in 2015, which had been closed since 1961. Blanco has received many honors for his work, including the Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellowship, a Florida Artist Fellowship, and a Bread Loaf Fellowship. In 2023, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

In addition to his poetry, Blanco has published two memoirs, For All of Us, One Today: An Inaugural Poet’s Journey (2013) and The Prince of Los Cocuyos; A Miami Childhood (2014). The latter describes his childhood and adolescence and how he came to understand his national and cultural identity as a child of Cuban immigrants, as well as his identity as a gay man.

Blanco has taught at Georgetown University, American University, Central Connecticut State University, and Wesleyan University. As of 2024, he is an associate professor at Florida International University in Miami.

POEM TEXT

Blanco, Richard. “One Today.” 2013. Academy of American Poets.

SUMMARY

The poem comprises nine stanzas. It begins as the sun rises over the mountains, lakes, and plains of the US and over every house. Millions of people wake up and get ready for their day. They go off either to school or to work in a wide variety of occupations, from truckers, to teachers, to grocery store workers, and more. Although very diverse, they all live in that one light offered by the sun. They are confident and dream of a bright future, even though no one can explain the tragedy of a recent school shooting.

The poem goes on to celebrate people who work with their hands close to the earth and then offers a kaleidoscope of the sounds of the US as people move through their day—everything from cabs honking, to trains whistling, to conversations in cafés, to people greeting each other in many different languages. Another paean to the work involved in various occupations and tasks, from building a bridge to painting a portrait, follows, as does an allusion to the recovery of the US after the tragedy of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. At the end of the day, when people have returned home, and the moon and stars are visible, they are full of hope and optimism about the country’s future, which they will all build together as one nation.