Sarah+Kay

Madelyn Principe, A1

=Sarah Kay  is a 27 year old American poet living in New York City. She is known for her spoken word poetry and she is the co-director of Project Voice, a. She has published two books of her poetry, "B" and "No Matter the Wreckage." Kay describes herself as being "less cool than her little brother". Her brother, Philip, is very important in her life and he is mentioned in a lot of her poetry. =

**Dreaming Boy **

1 In most of the dreams I remember

2 from childhood, I am a boy. Saving a maiden

3 or not saving anyone in particular, but definitely a boy.

4 For years, when the only language I had were the scraps

5 tossed to me from the popular kids’ table, //lesbian//

6 seemed as likely an explanation as anything.

7 What does it mean to dream myself a gender?

8 What does it mean to hold that secret beneath my tongue?

9 The first time I kissed a boy, he was so tall, his mouth so soft,



10 I dreamt of the ocean for weeks. Never in control of my limbs.

11 Next to him, I seemed like a convincing enough girl. At least

12 when I was awake. At night, I was Batman. At night, a fireman.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">13 At night, a boy, with muscles in boy places. And a firm hand.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">14 And a direction to run. The first time I kissed a girl, I didn’t

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">15 like how much our faces melted into each other.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">16 Where was the stubble? The hard jaw and cinnamon? I could not breathe

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">17 through all her lilac. I dreamt of being lost in the woods.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">18 Of a terrible tidal wave. If I was not a lesbian,

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">19 what possible explanation did I have? What words

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">20 could I tie around this treacherous heart?

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">21 This impossible hunger, this miserable mind?

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">22 The first time I met you, someone said, Oh, he’s definitely gay,

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">23 And maybe that was a confusion I recognized.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">24 The first time I kissed you, you told me to take it slow.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">25 I placed my hand against your rib cage, and you moved it away.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">26 I felt like a fourteen-year-old trying to get a bra strap off.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">27 You spent the night anyway, and we lay next to each other breathing,

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">28 my hands inches from your boxer shorts, twitching against the covers.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">29 The next morning, you made the bed and folded my clothes while I was at class.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">30 You learned to play the harp and sang me songs while you played.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">31 For my birthday, you baked me a triple layer cake, woke up early to ice it.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">32 I watched your shirtless torso push icing through a tube,

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">33 I have never loved a body the way I loved yours in that moment.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">I really love this poem because of the societal problems that it addresses. Originally it seems like it is going to be about lesbian or transgender issues, but that isn’t really the focus at all. The issue being addressed by the author is more about gender roles, stereotypes, and expectations. In the poem she dreams of being a boy not because she likes girls or actually wants to be a boy, but because she feels drawn to things that are deemed “for boys.” In our culture most characteristics are either assigned to either one gender or the other. Many people struggle because they are caught between these two “opposite” sides, standing somewhere on the imaginary line between what is “for girls” and what’s “for boys.” I think that this social topic is extremely relevant. She gives an example of “saving a maiden” in her dreams, alluding to the stereotype in fairy tales of men rescuing princesses. In media men are portrayed as majestic and brave whereas women are helpless and in need of saving. This is a huge problem in our culture. Because she is an empowered woman who doesn’t fit perfectly into this feminine role, she questions herself. Male and female aren’t polar opposites. Characteristics aren’t either “masculine” or “feminine”, they’re all just //human//. And people can contain any mixture of different human qualities. Her only source of confusion was that she felt that there was an expectation to be entirely on one side. Because she dreamt of being a Batman or a firefighter (line 12), she thinks this means she has to be a boy. She also questions her sexuality, thinking that because she is a girl with “boyish” qualities, she might be lesbian, even though she doesn’t actually experience any attraction to other women. When she says “what possible explanation did I have? What words could I tie around this treacherous heart?” (lines 19-20) she is expressing that she doesn’t understand why she doesn’t fit into any of the stereotypes that she knows. I think that every person lies somewhere on the spectrum between the perfect, heterosexual, masculine hero and the dainty, male-reliant, girly-girl. This poem was written in a free way that allows the author to discuss the topic without being held back by a rhythm. The lines split off at awkward places in the sentences, which helps put emphasis on different words while being read. **

**<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Brother ** media type="youtube" key="Zl6P1ym5WvE" height="324" width="576" align="center"

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">1 Brother, you jaywalked your way out of the womb.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">2 I would recognize you anywhere from the hiccup in your swagger.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">3 Tell me, where in the world did you find all that thunder?

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">4 There have never been any seat belts on your side of the car.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">5 You have always known the better magic tricks.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">6 You told me once that I was just the first draft, and I’m inclined to believe you, but you came with a lot more pieces to assemble, and mom and dad never got the manual.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">7 Your compass always points north, but it's a bit of a crapshoot as to whether or not you'll ever really walk in that direction.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">8 And I like that. It keeps people on their toes.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">9 And the carousel ride of your life, the merry-go-road ponies are all narwhals, their horns point straight up.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">10 The day they build you a constellation, it will be the entire F-train, spread across the milky way.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">11 You will be a satellite who dips in and out of every single car the minute it comes to a stop, pissing off everybody on the subway platform and kicking up stardust in your wake.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">12 You can solve a Law and Order before the first commercial break.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">13 Once, when you were seven, you came into the kitchen and asked mom: “Does my name begin with the letter P because P is the 16th letter of the alphabet and I was born on June 16th and is Sarah just Sarah because S is 19th letter and she was born on the 19th day of June?”

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">14 And when mom said no, you nodded your head and left the kitchen mumbling to yourself, “Okay, just salt and pepper then.”

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">15 You are my favorite stick of dynamite.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">16 You are the opposite of a rubber band.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">17 There are so many things I would tell you if I thought that you would listen and so many more that you would tell me if you believed I would understand.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">18 I hope you know you were never meant to wear this shadow.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">19 In fact, I’m the one who always steals your shoes but- is that my sweatshirt you’re wearing? It’s okay, you can keep it. In fact, it really does look better on you.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">I loved this poem immediately because I relate to it so much. My brother Alexander and I are very close, as are the author and her brother. My favorite lines are the ones that I feel like exactly describe Alexander and I. I really like line 3 “Tell me, where in the world did you find all that thunder” because I feel like it captures the relationship I have with my brother. Alexander and I are VERY different, he’s got an outrageous, hilarious, bold personality like thunder whereas I’m mostly reserved. I like the diction that the author uses in lines 6-11 to describe how fantastic her brother is. Phrases like “The day they build you a constellation” and ”…the carousel ride of your life” give the impression that his life is this crazy, whimsical adventure and that she believes he is destined for greatness. Again, this is so Alexander. She also uses humor which adds to the light tone of the poem and gives you an idea of their playful relationship. Her combination of really nice and authentic complements and jokes is reminiscent of how siblings interact in real life, because I’m sure that when she’s with her brother she doesn’t just sit there and shower him with love. That isn’t how siblings are. However, beneath the funny stories and fantastic descriptions, you can see that she really adores him. Line 7 “Your compass always points north, but it's a bit of a crapshoot as to whether or not you'll ever really walk in that direction” is an example of where a compliment is contrasted by a joke. Another place where seriousness is quickly made lighter with humor is in lines 18-19 “I hope you know you were never meant to wear this shadow. In fact, I’m the one who always steals your shoes” My interpretation of this line is that she is being serious and then chickens out and makes a joke. She’s telling him that although he is younger, he doesn’t live in her shadow. I think that the way she really meant to end that statement was something along the lines of “In fact, I’m the one who always steals your spotlight.” As in, the spotlight isn’t on her with him in the shadow, but it’s on him and she tries to move from behind his shadow. She also notices that he is wearing her shirt, but then says that it looks better on him anyway. This is to the same effect as the previous line, pretty much saying that she sees him as better than her in many ways. **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline;">Morning 1 Sometimes in the early morning 2 when the light through my eyelids 3 is still pink, 4 I think I am anywhere but here. 5 Depending on the day: 6 my childhood bed, 7 a hotel room in Santa Cruz, 8 a sleeping bag, a tent, 9 my brother’s down comforter, 10 after I have wandered down the hall 11 and found my place on the cooler side 12 of the mattress, 13 I nudge the pillow next to me 14 to remind him it is time to get up.
 * I should have paired this with “Brother”! I adore this poem. I think that it is beautiful. I also relate to it in a few ways, like in line 4 “I think I am anywhere but here”. I interpret this line as her wishing she was somewhere else, because she isn’t content with her current situation. She lies in bed and imagines waking up in other places. The tone is delicate and sweet, like the morning. Lines 2-3 “when the light through my eyelids is still pink” give the reader a distinct feeling, setting the scene and tone. She lists some other places that she dreams of being, starting with a safe place, her childhood bed (line 6) and then going to more adventurous places like a “hotel room in Santa Cruz” (line 7) or “a sleeping bag, a tent” (line 8). These give the impression that she has an adventurous spirit. These places might have a personal significance to her, or they could just be places that she thinks would be fun and interesting. For the reader, these just translate as cool places. After this she lands back on another safe place, her brother’s down comforter (line 9) and elaborates more on this idea. It is obviously a happy place for her. She describes a soft, casual morning wandering down the hall and resting next to him. This is an incredibly sweet anecdote. It makes me think of this time during middle school when me and my brother watched a really scary movie at our dad’s house. It freaked me out really bad and I ended up sleeping in my brother’s bed with him for about a month afterwards, because I was afraid of being in my room alone. The author’s sense of adventure combined with her connection to her brother made me fall in love with this poem. **

** Love Letter from Toothbrush to Bicycle Tire **

1 They told me that I was meant for the cleaner life; 2 that you would drag me through the mud.

3 They said that you would tread all over me, 4 that they could see right through you,

5 that you were full of hot air; 6 that I would always be chasing,

7 always watching you disappear after sleeker models-- 8 that it would be a vicious cycle.

9 But I know better. I know about your rough edges 10 and I have seen your perfect curves.

11 I will fit into whatever spaces you let me. 12 If loving you means getting dirty, bring on the grime.

13 I will leave this porcelain home behind. I’m used to 14 twice-a-day relationships, but with you I’ll take all the time.

15 And I know we live in different worlds, and we’re always really busy, 16 but in my dreams you spin around me so fast, I always wake up dizzy.

17 So maybe one day you’ll grow tired of the road, 18 and roll on back to me.

19 And when I blink my eyes into morning, 20 your smile will be the only one I see.


 * I think that this poem is fun and clever. It is interesting because you can read it like a normal love letter, from one person to another OR you could read it with the title in mind, like a literal toothbrush is in love with a bicycle tire. It makes sense either way, and this poem was done very well. If you’re reading it literally, it is really funny and ironic. It also has a lot of personification. However, reading it as if she is talking about a real person or experience, you may see it in a more serious light. The person she is writing this love letter to probably has a bad-boy vibe and it sounds like her friends and family warned her against being with him. The audience can understand this because even if they haven’t been in a situation like this, a lot of movies have this theme. She contrasts herself (the toothbrush) as being clean and having a “porcelain home” (line 13) to the bicycle tire who is dirty and darker. This contrast is made more apparent by the differences between the light colors and the dark colors. Another interesting thing about this poem is that at first it doesn’t have any kind of rhyme scheme, but at the end it does include a few end rhymes. In the last 10 lines, the rhyme scheme is A B C B D D E F G F. It’s kind of loose, but this is the only poem I’ve seen of hers that included rhyming at all. I think she made it rhyme so that it has a bit of the feeling of a usual love letter or poem, like “roses are red, violets are blue”. The poem is split into groups of two lines, but they don’t really have any kind of regular meter (except for a little at the end). **

Kay, Sarah. "Dreaming Boy." (n.d.): 124-25. Web. <http://static1.squarespace.com/static/50a3e7b0e4b0216a96954b82/t/56305725e4b02b52dc1a69b0/1446008613059/sarah+kay+final.pdf>.

Kay, Sarah. "Sarah Kay – Brother." //Genius//. Genius, n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2016. <http://genius.com/Sarah-kay-brother-annotated>.

Kay, Sarah. "Love Letter from Toothbrush to Bicycle Tire." //Healthy You Healthy Love//. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://healthyyouhealthylove.com/topic/a-love-letter-from-the-toothbrush-to-a-bicycle-tire/>.

Kay, Sarah. "Morning by Sarah Kay." //My Heart Will Always Keep You near//. N.p., 05 Jan. 2013. Web. 25 Feb. 2016. <https://myheartwillalwayskeepyounear.wordpress.com/2013/01/05/482/>.