No Matter the Wreckage

But just in case you are like me, just in case you do still think about the way your hands used to piano-key my spine, the way you would whisper spells into my ears when I was napping, the way I slipped notes into your jacket pockets; just in case you wonder if all those winks ever meant anything at all, I will tell you. You do not need to look very hard to find your shadow here. Your fingerprints are on these pages. So many of your footsteps in the snow.

Sarah Kay is so vulnerably open in this book of hers. And I love it. This is a collection of the truths she's gathered so far in her life, all written with the kind of genius and passion for words Kay possesses. :)

I bought this book when Proj VOICE came to UP Diliman, and I had it autographed by Sarah Kay as well. It was such a great privilege, watching my favorite poets perform live. It was probably one of the best nights of my life.



"B" is uncontestedly the poem I love best, ever since I first watched a YouTube video of Kay delivering it for her TED Talk in 2011. My other favorites would be Ghost Ship, Hand-me-downs, Private Parts, and The Type. (But seriously, though, everything was written beautifully.)

No matter your wreckage.
There show more will be someone to find you beautiful,
despite the cruddy metal. Your ruin is not to be hidden
behind paint and canvas. Let them see the cracks.
Someone will come to sing into these empty spaces. show less

The poems of Sarah Kay always give me feelings. Something like home. Familiarity, maybe. Or nostalgia. There is no spoken word poetry of Sarah Kay that I did not like. There will never be. So to appreciate this collection of poems, I listened to her through her videos online. What about those poems without her videos? I read it out loud. I'm not a good poetry speaker but to hell with it! I made the bed my stage and the pillows in my room became my audience. In those moments, there was a bubble of magic that was impenetrable.

She's quite young, so there's some disconnect for me. I liked Dragons, and Hand-Me-Downs the best, but admired pats of several others. I'd certainly read more if she continues to write.

Sarah Kay is my favorite female poet. She does spoken word poetry as well, which you can google to watch her performances. I fell in love when I heard her perform Point B on a TED talk. I have since found every video and book. Her poetry feels raw and real, like she just got out of bed and put her pajamas into words. I like being able to picture her performing her poetry, it adds to the experience.

This is one of the only poetry books I’ve ever read that felt completely unedited. These poems were so long, not because it needed to be, but because the poet attempted to put so many things in what couldve been consise and amazing. Less is MORE. Putting your brothers whole life story in one poem is never going to turn out good.

Sarah Kay was already one of my favorite contemporary poets before reading this book. Having read it, she's solidified herself on that list and might be on top of it, now.

I can't put it all into words, but for anyone who's read or listened to any of her work, you know what to expect in this collection. Kay doesn't disappoint.