Richard Blanco to Read Poem at Re-Opening of US Embassy in Havana

Time and again, Richard Blanco has captured our hearts and moved us to tears with his poetry, notably 'One Today,' performed at the second inaugeration of President Barack Obama, and 'Until We Could.' Now, we've learned that the Cuban-American poet will be reading a piece outside the United States Embassy in Havana tomorrow in celebration of its official re-opening.

On Facebook, Blanco said:

"So incredibly emotional for me—not only to witness this historic moment, but also to be asked to be part of it. I’m humbled, honored, and elated."

In an interview with MSNBC, he discussed the significance of his invovlement in this historic occasion:

"I’ve always felt like my heart has been split between two countries, two heritages, two loyalties. And so the poem is in a way reconciling that part of me, personally. What I hope the poem does as well is bring us to another place of reconciliation, an emotional place of reconciliation…I see this as a moment of emotional truce."

"It seems like so much of what all my writing has been about leading up to this very moment, the negotiation of cultural identities. This just seems so surreal still…This is really in some sense just the beginning, the dawn of new things to come."

[H/T Gay Star News]