You don't need to have a poet at a presidential inauguration.

Before today, there have only been five of them.

First, Robert Frost, for JFK, then Maya Angelou for Bill Clinton.

The last time there was an inaugural poet was back in 2013.

Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, America, one today.

Richard Blanco was, at the time, the youngest inaugural poet, the first Latin X inaugural poet,

the first gay inaugural poet.

One son rose on us today, kindled over our shores, peaking over the smokies, greeting the faces

of the great lakes, spreading a simple truth across the great plainsains and charging across the Rockies.

When you watch video from Obama's inauguration, when Richard starts reading, he's got this

little smile on his face. Like, how'd I get here?

It's still a little bit of a mystery to me.

Nearly a decade later, Richard is still wondering.

I just got a call.

I was driving home to Maine, actually from New York,

and I just got a call, which I thought was a crank call.

I didn't quite understand what they were trying to explain to me

until the person said, no, like Robert Frost and Maya Angelou.

So I was like, oh, okay.

But anyway, I pulled over the side of the road and Google the person I called. And sure enough, it was the presidential inaugural committee.

Richard's not sure why he was chosen.

I've met with the president since then several times, and I've never quite

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