Your Daily Poem

This site exists for one purpose only: to help dispel the ugly and absolutely untrue myth that poetry is boring. Granted, a lot of poetry is boring, but you won't find it here. At Your Daily Poem, you'll find poetry that is touching, funny, provocative, inspiring, uplifting, and surprising. It may punch you in the gut, it may bring tears to your eyes, it may make you laugh out loud, but it most assuredly will not bore you!

Poetry on YDP—by poets living and long dead, famous to completely unknown--is specially selected for accessibility and appeal. Thanks so much for visiting—and remember: a poem a day keeps the doldrums away!

Sermonette
by
Nancy Byrd Turner

Sometimes when things turn upside down
And inside out, and look dark brown,
I rush outdoors and gaze into
The topless sky's eternal blue,
So calm and cool, so still and deep,
With calm, contented clouds like sheep . . .
I shade my eyes, and stare and stare,
Then go back in the house, and there
Begin to wonder and to doubt
What I was in a stew about.

This poem is believed to be in the public domain.
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Nancy Byrd Turner (1880 - 1971) was born in Virginia. A descendant of both Thomas Jefferson and Pocohantas, Nancy began writing poetry as a child. She studied to become a teacher, and did teach for a few years, but eventually she became a magazine editor. During the course of her career, she published 15 books, several songs, and her work appeared regularly in the leading magazines of her day. Late in her life, Nancy became a freelance writer and a popular lecturer.

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Darrell Arnold:
Clever and astute and humorous. Easy to memorize. I love it.
Posted 04/29/2026 08:14 AM

transitions:
Love the rhyme; will try and heed the sage advice! Judy
Posted 04/30/2011 10:25 AM

Buckner14:
What fun! And next time I'm about to throw a hissy-fit (is that a purely Southern term?) I'll quote it to my fraught self!
Posted 04/29/2011 03:31 PM

KevinArnold:
This poem is made by the word 'stew.' So many idioms could have been used to describe angst. I like her choice: Begin to wonder and to doubt What I was in such a stew about.
Posted 04/29/2011 08:10 AM

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