Sarah Kay

I think all the archives are still online, so you can still find it.

And it was sort of a faux advice column.

But really what it was is people would write in and tell us about their very specific heartache

And then we would prescribe them a poem for their troubles.

And again, I think because one of my favorite moments of living is when a poem reaches me at the exact moment I needed it.

And I go, oh, I didn't even know I needed language for this.

And they found it.

And now it's in my hands.

Nothing feels more lucky or aligned for me personally.

And so I love the challenge of trying to create that or something close to it for other people.

And so we asked folks to write in with their very specific current heartache or heart question.

And I tried to find them a poem for their troubles.

Thank you for writing this prompt.

The poem that I chose for you is one of my favorite poems.

It's by the poet Safia Elhillo, who's a Sudanese-American poet.

And her poem is called Self-Portrait with No Flag.

I pledge allegiance to my homies.

to my mother's small and cool palms, to the gap between my brother's two front teeth and to my grandmother's good brown hands, good, strong brown hands gathering my bare feet in her lap.

I pledge allegiance to the group text.

I pledge allegiance to laughter and to all the boys I have a crush on.