Enchanting. Honest. Humble. Uplifting. Delightful. Courageous. Finding just one word to encapsulate that which Sarah Kay brings to her debut collection is like choosing my favorite star in the night sky. Already familiar with poems such as “B” and “Private Parts”, I was delighted to delve into No Matter The Wreckage (Write Bloody Publishing). From the first verse, Sarah invites us to witness the journey of  a woman,  filled with joyous vulnerability and a quirky strength, endeavoring to discover her place in a world guilty of throwing the occasional egg.

Sarah paints beautifully honest moments in poems such as “Ghost Ship”,

Oh, Brother. 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.

Their voice will echo off your insides like a second-grader

and her little brother—four years younger, two steps ahead.

Singing ’til the metal vibrates. ‘Til the ghost ship rings.

No Matter The Wreckage  is a mix of Sarah’s previous work as well as her newest pieces. It is refreshing to see where she began and exciting to see where she will take us next.

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