The death poem is one of the oldest poetic forms — a final statement written in contemplation of mortality. Rooted in the literary traditions of East Asia and refined over centuries in Japan, it asks the poet to face the end with clarity, wit, or silence.

US Dirt is the only magazine in the country dedicated entirely to this form as practiced by those living in, or from, the United States. We believe a distinctly American tradition is emerging — shaped by this country's landscapes, languages, and ways of dying — and we exist to document it.