Sarah Kay: "A Bird Made of Birds"
سارا کای: باڵندەیەکی دروستکراوی باڵندەکان
A performing poet since she was 14 years old, Sarah Kay is the founder of Project VOICE, an organization that uses spoken word poetry as a literacy and empowerment tool. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
who is a fellow poet.
هاوەڵی شاعیرێکە.
ئەنتەرنێت دۆزییەوە
on a hook from the ceiling,
هەڵیانواسیوە،
that the heart of a blue whale
کەوا دڵی نەهەنگە شینەکە
can stand up fully inside of it.
کەسێک بتوانیت لەناوی ڕابوەستێت.
لە ئەنتەرنێت بڵاوکردەوە،
the poem you were planning on writing."
نووسیوە کەوا پلاندادەنیت بینووسیت."
I was horrified.
ترسام.
I'm trying to invent new metaphors!
هەوڵدەدەم مێتافۆرێکی نوێ دابهێنم!
that hasn't been discovered yet.
کەوا هێشتا نەدۆزراوەتەوە.
is always going to get there before me?"
پێش من دەستی بەوێ دەگات؟"
a uniquely poet problem,
دەگمەنی شاعیر نییە
feels especially big
بە گەورەیەکی تایبەتی دەکرد
لەوانەیە هەندێک لە ئێوش بینیبیتیان.
that some of you may have seen.
every couple of months.
هەموو دوو مانگێک.
that are called starlings,
کەوا پێیان دەڵێن ڕیشۆڵە،
called a "murmuration,"
"پۆل ،"
just a big cloud of birds.
تەنها هەورێکی گەورەی باڵندەکانە.
a quick video on their phone
بە مۆبایلەکەی خێرا ڤیدیۆیان بگرێت
where the birds shift,
باڵندەکان دەگۆڕێن،
written the poem
گەردوون پیشتر هۆنراوەکەی نووسیەوە
it didn't fill me with despair.
نائومێدی نەکردم.
to invent something new.
شتێکی نوێ دابهێنم.
to what the universe is showing me
کەوان چیم پیشان دەدات
to what the universe offers,
بۆ ئەوەی گەردوون پێشنیاری دەکات.
but point at the flock of starlings
بەڵام پیشاندانی پۆلێک ڕیشۆڵە
in inherited choreography,
دەبێتە سەما،
"ئۆ" وەردەگرێت
is as large as a house
گەورەیە هێندەی خانویەک
to fit a person standing.
گونجاوە کەسێک تێدا ڕابوەستێت.
inside a flower,
لە ناو گوڵێک،
you can stand up inside of.
کە دەتوانیت لە ناوی ڕابوەستیت.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sarah Kay - PoetA performing poet since she was 14 years old, Sarah Kay is the founder of Project VOICE, an organization that uses spoken word poetry as a literacy and empowerment tool.
Why you should listen
Plenty of 14-year-old girls write poetry. But few hide under the bar of the famous Bowery Poetry Club in Manhattan’s East Village absorbing the talents of New York’s most exciting poets. Not only did Sarah Kay do that -- she also had the guts to take its stage and hold her own against performers at least a decade her senior. Her talent for weaving words into poignant, funny, and powerful performances paid off.
Sarah holds a Masters degree in the art of teaching from Brown University and an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Grinnell College. Her first book, B, was ranked the number one poetry book on Amazon.com. Her second book, No Matter the Wreckage, is available from Write Bloody Publishing.
Sarah also founded Project VOICE, an organization that uses spoken word poetry as a literacy and empowerment tool. Project VOICE runs performances and workshops to encourage people to engage in creative self-expression in schools and communities around the world.
Sarah Kay | Speaker | TED.com