Do It Every Morning

poem nine / Nellie Wong at Ninety

NELLIE WONG celebrates her ninetieth birthday with the publication of Nothing Like Freedom, her fifth collection, after Dreams of Harrison Railroad Park (1977), Death of Long Steam Lady (1986), Stolen Moments (1997), and Breakfast Lunch Dinner (2012). “Nellie Wong at Ninety” is a digital companion project centered around nine poems, chosen by Nellie to represent each decade of her storied life.

Nellie reads “Do It Every Morning,” from Nothing Like Freedom, for the Fall of Freedom.

Fall of Freedom is an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation. This Fall, we are activating a nationwide wave of creative resistance. Beginning November 21–22, 2025, galleries, museums, libraries, comedy clubs, theaters, and concert halls across the country will host exhibitions, performances, and public events that channel the urgency of this moment. Fall of Freedom is an open invitation to artists, creators, and communities to take part — and to celebrate the experiences, cultures, and identities that shape the fabric of our nation.

Nellie’s Fall of Freedom reading video is tagged with the following “banned words” and phrases:

Nellie’s reading was recorded in front of the Burnside Mural and Steps in Glen Park, San Francisco, CA. There, artists Aileen Barr and Colette Crutcher worked with hundreds of friends and neighbors of Glen Park to create hundreds of tiles for the staircase. Elaine Chu and Marina Perez-Wong of the Twin Walls Mural Company envisioned their mural as the water of Islais creek flowing down, a ribbon of blue, from the top of the stairs. The mural records the history and people of Glen Park, from the Ohlone (the land’s original stewards) to Minnie Straub Baxter and the Gum Tree girls who helped preserve and save Glen Park from freeways, as well as the native plants and animals.

A few more “banned words” and phrases:

Visit the Fall of Freedom Resources page to see a growing list of words and phrases compiled by PEN America, reportedly no longer considered acceptable by the Trump administration. from “abortion,” to “women,” and including “disability,” “elderly,” “Native American” and, unsurprisingly, the “Gulf of Mexico.”