Poetry Breaks: Lucille Clifton Reads "The Lost Baby Poem"

The Poetry Breaks series is a series of videos filmed in the late 1980s and early 1990s by creator Leita Luchetti, who co-produced the series with the WGBH New Television Workshops. Poetry Breaks features short videos of internationally renowned poets reading their work, reading the work of other poets, and discussing their takes on poetry in a variety of locations. The Academy of American Poets has partnered with Luchetti to present these videos once again.

[@micheleny7443]

This has been my favorite poem for so many years, I still get tears in my eyes when I read it.. even more so when she recites it.

[@jennybarrier5153]

This poem is so human and beautiful.

[@thoughts3897]

I love the lines: "what did I know about drowning/ or being drowned." Powerful poem.

[@poetryprose4810]

This should have more likes.

[@missmsmrs.7309]

Wow. I felt that. I, too wrote poetry about my abortion. I missed her the moment I let her go.

[@keepontrucking5373]

Y THE HELL U GET AN ABORTION?

[@sambujas4410]

😭😭😭😭😭

[@BestxInTheWorld]

🫰🏾🫰🏾🫰🏾