Let's make this birthday one to remember.

79 years old (Born on April 26, 1946)

Happy Birthday, Marilyn Nelson! May your day be filled with more joy than a poet discovering the perfect rhyme and fewer surprises than translating tricky verses. From "The Homeplace" to "Mama's Promises," you've woven words into timeless tapestries that touch hearts—and occasionally make us chuckle at life's quirks.

Your powerful tribute in "A Wreath for Emmett Till" continues inspiring readers everywhere—proof you're not just Connecticut’s former Poet Laureate but poetry royalty itself. Here's hoping this birthday brings you as much delight as finding an unexpected metaphor hiding under your pen (or keyboard). Cheers to another stanza-filled year ahead!