Quotes by Sarah Kay

Sarah Kay

I want to welcome folks to poetry, especially those who may have previously felt unwelcome; I want to celebrate everyone who is trying to make sense of this world through poetry the way I try to.

May

Trying

World

I write poetry to figure things out. Any time I’m trying to wrap my head around something, poetry is like a puzzle-solving strategy for me.

Strategy

Trying

Writing

If you know what you’re looking for, the illustrations might give you a tip about what is coming in that section. But it takes a lot of study and familiarity with the work for anyone to really “decode” it, and there are also images that are just thematically important, and not necessarily pointing to specific poems, so mainly it was just a fun puzzle for ourselves.

Fun

Giving

Illustration

Is there a word for the moment you win tug-of-war? When the weight gives, and all that extra rope comes hurtling towards you, how even though you’ve won, you still end up with muddy knees and burns on your hands? Is there a word for that? I wish there was.

Life

War

Winning

It is equally important to listen as it is to speak.

Important

Speak

Life will hit you hard in the face, wait for you to get back up just so it can kick you in the stomach. But getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.

Air

Waiting

Wind

My first performance poem was about how sometimes I was teased for being manly, or a tomboy or whatever. It was saying how just because I looked a certain way and displayed myself a certain way didn’t mean that I wasn’t also a feminine human…a woman if you will.

Firsts

Mean

Way

My self-confidence can be measured out in teaspoons mixed into my poetry, and it still always tastes funny in my mouth.

Mouths

Self Confidence

Taste

No matter your wreckage. There 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.

Beautiful

Cracks

Space

Not all poetry wants to be storytelling. And not all storytelling wants to be poetry. But great storytellers and great poets share something in common: They had something to say, and did.

Common

Poet

Want

Follow The Behaviour University in order to get the greatest quotes from the greatest people of all time so that you can tap into your own greatness.

Air

Apology

Art

Artist

Attention

Beautiful

Believe

Brain

Careers

Character

Common

Cracks

Daughter

Decision

Disappointment

Done

Editing

Excuse

Firsts

Focus

Fun

Giving

Hands

Hard Work

Illustration

Important

Inspiration

Kissing

Life

May

Mean

Metaphor

Mind

Mistake

Motivation

Mouths

Moving

Museums

Narrative

Night

Order

Past

Pedestal

People

Phone Calls

Phones

Photograph

Poet

Powerful

Rain

The Future Blueprint

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The Home Therapist: Anti Anxiety

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Quotes by Sarah Kay

Sarah Kay

I want to welcome folks to poetry, especially those who may have previously felt unwelcome; I want to celebrate everyone who is trying to make sense of this world through poetry the way I try to.

I write poetry to figure things out. Any time I’m trying to wrap my head around something, poetry is like a puzzle-solving strategy for me.

Is there a word for the moment you win tug-of-war? When the weight gives, and all that extra rope comes hurtling towards you, how even though you’ve won, you still end up with muddy knees and burns on your hands? Is there a word for that? I wish there was.

It is equally important to listen as it is to speak.

Life will hit you hard in the face, wait for you to get back up just so it can kick you in the stomach. But getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.

My first performance poem was about how sometimes I was teased for being manly, or a tomboy or whatever. It was saying how just because I looked a certain way and displayed myself a certain way didn’t mean that I wasn’t also a feminine human…a woman if you will.

My self-confidence can be measured out in teaspoons mixed into my poetry, and it still always tastes funny in my mouth.

No matter your wreckage. There 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.

Not all poetry wants to be storytelling. And not all storytelling wants to be poetry. But great storytellers and great poets share something in common: They had something to say, and did.

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Topics by Sarah Kay

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