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A Little Daylight Left: Poems

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A vulnerable, searching collection about facing the beautiful and difficult parts of our humanness with curiosity and compassion, from the celebrated spoken word poet Sarah Kay.

from somewhere down a hallway of locked doors, a voice asks, / What if you aren’t as bad as you suspect you are? / What if you’ll never be as good as you ache?

Beloved spoken word poet Sarah Kay brings us her long-awaited second full-length poetry collection, a decade after her acclaimed debut No Matter the Wreckage. In A Little Daylight Left, Kay explores life's most vulnerable moments of transition with courage, curiosity, joy, and humor. Each poem invites readers to consider what it might look like to boldly face the hard things we so often run from—a heartbreak, an ailing loved one, the fear that comes with new beginnings and uncertain futures. The result is a blueprint for discovering beauty in all that makes us human. With her signature wit and wisdom, Kay shows us how to navigate life bravely, with every single part of ourselves.

112 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2025

80 people are currently reading
7897 people want to read

About the author

Sarah Kay

82 books2,553 followers
Sarah Kay is an American poet. Known for her spoken word poetry, Kay is the founder and co-director of Project V.O.I.C.E., a group dedicated to using spoken word as an inspirational tool.

Sarah Kay, a graduate of Brown University, was born in New York to a Japanese American mother and a Jewish American father. She began performing poetry at the Bowery Poetry Club in the East Village at the age of 14, joining their Slam Team in 2006.[5] That year, she was the youngest person competing in the National Poetry Slam in Austin, Texas. In 2007 Kay made her television debut, performing the poem "Hands" on HBO's Def Poetry Jam.[6] She has performed at events and venues like the Lincoln Center, the Tribeca Film Festival, and at the United Nations where she was a featured performer for the launch of the 2004 World Youth Report.[7][8]
In May 2010, she performed at *spark!, a benefit for the Acumen Fund in New York, New York.[9]
On March 3, 2011, she performed at the TED conference in Long Beach, California as part of a series entitled "Beauty, Imagination, Enchantment." Along with a talk about her upbringing, she performed the poems "B" and "Hiroshima".[10]
Kay recently performed at The Nantucket Project, a festival of ideas in Nantucket, Massachusetts.[11]

Although Kay works primarily in spoken word poetry, she has had written poems published in magazines such as Foundling Review, DamselFly Press, and decomP literary magazine.[12][13][14]
In 2011, Kay published "B", a short hardcover book containing the titular poem, which was originally written in 2007. The book features illustrations by Sophia Janowitz.[15]

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5 stars
324 (52%)
4 stars
197 (31%)
3 stars
87 (13%)
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13 (2%)
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2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
Profile Image for Erin.
3,944 reviews464 followers
March 11, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

As an English teacher, I adore Sarah Kay, mostly for her spoken word videos, which I show my students when we tackle slam/spoken word poetry. A Little Daylight Left is full of heart and reflection on love, grief, and living. This poetry collection, Kay's second full-length publication, is one that I read slowly. It is divided into three sections, and so I would read a section per night and sometimes I would pause to allow the words to sink in.

I rate the collection 3 stars because, while the poetry was moving, I feel it would have impacted me more if I had heard Sarah Kay read it. That is more about her writing style. The poet tends to use "enjambment" where there is no punctuation, making everything feel like a run-on sentence. I am not accustomed to reading poetry like that, so I think some poems failed to resonate with me.

Overall, a bit of a mixed bag but I would still recommend it to students and friends that enjoy poets who experiment with different styles.


#ALittleDaylightLeft #NetGalley.
Expected Publication 01/04/25
Goodreads Review 11/03/25
Profile Image for Kristen.
351 reviews33 followers
June 8, 2025
I've taught Sarah Kay's poetry in some capacity since I started teaching almost a decade ago, so this was an easy five star read for me. This anthology has such a continuity to it that I could see teaching this in its entirety in addition to the more traditional excerpted pieces. Her poetry is readable and relatable (but maybe it's the millennial of it all that gets me). There were many moments where I wondered "did we grow up together"? Or is it that just all millennial girls have vivid memories of playing outfield tee ball and toting around metaphorical report cards in my 30s just in case. As always the beauty of Kay's writing will captivate readers and with the structure, there's something for everyone in this new book of poetry.
Profile Image for Monica Hills.
1,382 reviews68 followers
January 31, 2025
These were powerful and interesting poems. They read quickly and I wanted to know more. The poems start when she is a child and then move through her life. I felt such emotion and experiences as I read each one. It was almost like reading a fast moving book but with very powerful imagery. I have not read a lot of poetry in my life but these will stick with me. I look forward to reading more.

Thank you to Random House Publishing/The Dial Press and NetGalley for this ARC.
Profile Image for Destiny Cejka.
365 reviews1 follower
February 10, 2025
Thank you Net Galley and Publishers for letting me read an arc of this book in return for an honest review

This poetry book was powerful and vulnerable and the writing was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately it wasn't a me book, but that's ok. It's a book for someone who loves the difficult things in life - heartbreak, ailing loved ones, new beginnings and uncertain futures. It's a spoken word poetry book so I feel like I might have liked these better listening to them out loud instead of reading. There were some poems I really enjoyed and were relatable to me but as a whole it wasn't my cup of tea. I am glad to have branched out to something new though.
Profile Image for Hannah Showalter.
533 reviews48 followers
August 13, 2025
Been waiting for another Sarah Kay book for so long, this was so good to read! Some poems didn’t land for me compared to her last book, but it was still a good read. 3.5!
Profile Image for Jaclyn.
588 reviews54 followers
August 8, 2025
I immediately send the first poem to a friend it reminded me of, that’s how you know it’s good poetry
Profile Image for Mya Matteo.
Author 1 book61 followers
June 20, 2025
so here's the thing. Sarah Kay is a lovely performer. And like many other performer poets, their work just doesn't translate well to the page. The lack of craft / intention here when it comes to the form and line was pretty hard for me to read past. And several of the poems I wished for more complex musings, especially when it related to politics outside of Kay's lived experience. but of course, there are some tremendous images and sentiments here as well.
Profile Image for Giulia Zzz.
183 reviews12 followers
November 26, 2025
Been a fan of her poetry for years, and was delighted with this one. Listened to on audio and would recommend it in this format. Sarah Kay is an excellent performer, and hearing her perform her own spoken word poetry is special, I could imagine being in the room while she took the stage. The only downside of the audio is that I wished I could underline, and I imagined myself with a highlighter capturing some lines as they lingered in the air.
Profile Image for Devin Jackman.
54 reviews1 follower
April 17, 2025
Thank goodness for Sarah Kay and her remarkable poetry. I loved listening to her read these poems on the audiobook while I followed along with my print version, and I loved seeing some pieces I had the pleasure of hearing live years ago when I took some students to see her perform. This collection was exactly what my spirit needed right now. I laughed. I cried. It became a part of me.
Profile Image for Rachel Qay.
78 reviews
March 15, 2025
"A Little Daylight Left" begins with poetry which depicts the process in which the naïveté of childhood slowly disappears as you reach adulthood. As I read through the beginning of this collection, I really resonated with the message of realizing the moment when you are finally old enough that you suddenly become the adult that you once relied on when you were a child: and now there will be young people looking to you for answers for the rest of your life. I think that Kay describes this collection of poetry very well when she states later on in one of the poems: "If there was a girl scout badge for ease with human vulnerability I think I could earn it". A very accurate description of this collection is "vulnerability", which is something that I really gravitate towards when reading poetry. "A Little Daylight Left" includes poems that discuss coping with the pain of grief and of heartbreak; the pain of transitioning into new phases of life; the pain of self-doubt and of realizing your body isn't going to cooperate with you. Different poems will surely resonate with different people, and I connected with a good portion of this collection. Thank you to NetGalley, The Dial Press, and Sarah Kay for providing an early digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Profile Image for Sacha.
1,979 reviews
April 1, 2025
5 stars

I really appreciate Sarah Kay's work for two reasons: (1) personal enjoyment and (2) absolute accessibility for my students. They love her, too, and she is a great entry point into poetry for my second-year college audience. This collection will get a lot of traction on future syllabi.

Incoming fans of Kay's and folks with all levels of experience reading poetry - beginners included - will find motifs, descriptions, and snapshots of the human condition to which they can relate (or minimally appreciate).

I recommend this collection to interested readers and will definitely share it with my students.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Jordan Hill Forney at The Dial Press for this widget, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Profile Image for Haylee Perry.
427 reviews
February 1, 2026
Yes, it took me 6 months to finish this short book of poetry, but I should’ve known better than trying to read it. I finally listened to the last 10ish poems I had left and it made my experience much better. I will probably go back and listen to the rest of them. I also had the pleasure of listening to Sarah Kay read a handful of these poems in person, which was even better. She has been my favorite poet since I was in middle school and continues to make me laugh, tear up, and smile listening to her. I’ll work on the reading part.
Profile Image for Ashley.
534 reviews93 followers
January 26, 2025
(4.5/5 ⭐, rounded up)

What a stunning collection!

I flew thru this in 1 sitting. Most of the poetry I relate to is lalmlst exclusively relational in hindsight. Thank you, Sarah, for writing poetry that has that same sense of urgency but addresses the phase of life I'm currently in.

I highly recommend this one. It lives up to its cover, which says a lot bc look how gorgeous that is.

{Thank you bunches to Sarah Kay, RH Publishing Group, The Dial Press and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for my honest review!}
Profile Image for Renee.
2,128 reviews34 followers
April 2, 2025
5 stars

This was fantastic. These are best read outloud, there is something that works so well with the prose in that form. I appreciated how they were organized from youth to growing up. I really connected with not only the themes but the way she used words.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form opinions from.
Profile Image for Madalyn St. John.
164 reviews5 followers
April 4, 2025
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for selecting me to receive an advanced copy.

Overall, I can appreciate that this was some beautiful poetry, but the style of it just wasn’t for me. Knowing now that she is a spoken word poet makes the feel of most of the poems make a lot more sense. I personally struggle with poems that read like a run-on sentence. That’s just my personal thing and is not a comment on the quality of the poems themselves. I think someone who appreciates poetry more as a genre and doesn’t have that same comprehension issue would greatly enjoy this collection.
Profile Image for Ailuriel of Ilorian.
30 reviews
December 1, 2025
what if I am addicted to making it complicated /
what if I am addicted to getting in my own way / my own way
is littered with anxiety / litter is what everyone agrees isn’t supposed to be there
but I wouldn’t recognize myself without the anxiety /
I am just three anxieties in a trench coat—
always the old timey detective, never the femme fatale /
though still protagonist of course / still narrator /
distressingly self-aware / self-aware
is not the same as self-conscious / which is not the same as self-centered
but you’re lookin at a three for one, baby!

Sarah Kay is a gift upon the world. There is no other way of saying it, everyone needs to know it, and I am so glad of it.

This is Kay's second collection, and it brings together the best of her work from the last ten years, divided chronologically by what part of her life they refer to (childhood/teenagehood, early adulthood, present day).

This is a book that feels like it was written by someone who profoundly understands me, who knows both the despairs and the seemingly foolish desires for hope. I underlined it to death, through the hurt and comfort of often the same poem. There is some beautiful use of language, strong images, storytelling. Ultimately, it is (like most literature I have come to realise I truly love) full of depth but not undecipherable, genuine, and unafraid to bare and show its heart.

Part two was probably my favourite (it had like three poems in a row that together made me cry in the middle of a train), but it is such a small difference it is basically negligible.

I read it slowly during my commutes to and from university, which gave me a chance to sit with each poem for a while, and looking back, it was the perfect way. And I needed this book. It arrived at just the right time to say just the right things. Thank you, Sarah, for writing it :).

And finally, if you have not read her previous collection, No Matter the Wreckage, I would very much recommend that as well.
Profile Image for Megan.
149 reviews37 followers
November 9, 2024
Sarah Kay definitely has a way with words, that’s for sure. This is an absolutely beautiful and powerful collection of free verse poetry. Sarah finds the unique and heartfelt moments in everyday life and describes them perfectly. She is raw and honest in her storytelling, sharing memories of how it feels to be female, how to it feels to be afraid or unworthy, how it feels to be heartbroken, and much more. This collection expresses the importance of finding human connection amongst the risks and dangers of living. I have never read her poetry before but will be seeking out more of it in the future. I am also inspired to look up recordings of her spoken word poetry as I would love to hear her recite it herself. Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Kay, and Random House Publishing |The Dial Press for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Kassandra Vilchis.
Author 2 books15 followers
April 21, 2025
I really like Sarah Kay’s poetry but I am wondering if she knows how many times she says she is a poet who writes poetry and she owns poetry books because she is poet who writes poetry and tells her readers they are a poet who writes poetry and she owns poetry books.
Profile Image for Aquila.
584 reviews12 followers
March 30, 2025
A Little Daylight Left had me floored from the very first poem.

Kay crafts such beautiful imagery for us with her words, snapshots of experience, connection, love, sex. There are life altering, heartbreaking moments. Thought spirals that seem circular, but we're going somewhere. I promise. She makes even the most mundane of moments shine with hidden light. From dreams, to cooking, to family road trips, there is magic in these acts.

While reading the poem Sharpshooters, I recall thinking that her parents' love for photography must have helped to shape her ability to paint such beautiful pictures with words. Then in the very next poem she says herself, "I learned to write the way my parents photograph—looking for light."

Sarah
I am reading to myself unaccompanied
in silence
I have no special accent
just your voice in my head as I read

Thank you for reminding me that I still need to take that road trip with my dad up the coast to hunt for beautiful, dilapidated barns to photograph.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I received a copy of A Little Daylight Left by Sarah Kay from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Kyra.
113 reviews4 followers
April 16, 2025
Sarah Kay has a new poetry collection! I was so excited to find out about this one (through a random YouTube suggestion for a performance of one of the poems from it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IznQ... ). I've loved her poems for more than a decade, and it's beautiful to see how both she and I have changed and grown up while still being, in many ways, the same.


[...] it isn't that complicated /
what if I am addicted to making it complicated /
what if I am addicted to getting in my own way / my own way
is littered with anxiety / litter is what everyone agrees isn't supposed to be there
but I wouldn't recognize myself without the anxiety /
I am just three anxieties in a trench coat--
always the old timey detective, never the femme fatale /
though still protagonist of course / still narrator /
distressingly self-aware / self-aware
is not the same as self-conscious / which is not the same as self-centered
but you're lookin a a three for one, baby!
Profile Image for Sirah.
3,088 reviews27 followers
February 12, 2025
To be honest, I'm having a hard time categorizing these poems, which is part of why I don't want to give this book 5 stars. Some of the pieces are wonderfully nostalgic or tantalizingly observant. Others are full of raw horror and deep sorrow. A few are angry. I really loved Kay's clever use of metaphor, even if I often had to read a poem a few times to get the gist of it. It was also fascinating to watch some of these poems pull together two topics that seem to have nothing to do with one another, but somehow by the end of the piece, they make sense. I can say that I found a few new favorites in this book of poems, primarily at the beginning and end, but there were quite a few that weren't for me. I would recommend this book of poems to anyone who likes poetry, but I'm fairly confident that because of the wide range of topics and emotions here, there will be some that won't hit right.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Songie.
89 reviews5 followers
November 24, 2024
I was familiar with some of Sarah Kay’s work, thanks to many nights watching spoken poetry on YouTube.

This collection contains lovely poems about the human experience, some making you feel more deeply, others getting you to appreciate the whimsy and magic in this world we live in.
Some of the imagery or detailed anecdotes woven into the poems stick with you: I found myself thinking about bits of it throughout the days after I finished the book. I really loved how even the most personal quirks can be related to our own mundane life.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this!
46 reviews2 followers
April 14, 2025
Everything Sarah Kay creates is worth reading over & over again. A Little Daylight Left is a collection of poems that could each individually stand as their own, yet they cohesively tell a story as they are shared chronologically & thematically with intention & purpose. The collection’s voice is so authentically hers that I read it silently in her performance voice. While it’s her own, it certainly conveys messages that capture the human experience—universals of love, wonder, self-reflection and grief.

I will keep these poems in my back pocket forever.
Profile Image for Moriah Georges.
227 reviews2 followers
Read
June 25, 2025
"someone will be the first to let the friendship stale
will stop answering calls, someone too must be the first to die
in the meantime, I suggest we fill our pockets with picnics & potlucks.
Phone calls & photographs & songs we know in four-part harmony."
-Worth Celebrating

"praise the boldness
of who I was yesterday
when I offered to cook you dinner
praise the boldness
of who I was fifteen minutes ago
attempting a sauce
I've never attempted
which now isn't emulsifying
a word I'm only half confident about"
-Praise My Tiny Kitchen
Profile Image for Brandi.
407 reviews22 followers
November 7, 2024
What a beautiful collection of poetry. This is my introduction to Kay, and I’m glad I had the chance to read it! These poems are raw, emotional, and vulnerable. I had quite a few favorites, but Unreliable & The Minister of Loneliness were the top.

Thank you NetGalley & Penguin Random House for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.
Profile Image for Lindsay.
Author 1 book59 followers
December 27, 2024
I've been watching Sarah Kay's spoken word for years, I think there's an element of her performance that is just so excellent that you can't quite reach on the page. But, she's been a favourite poet of mine since the first time I heard her poem B.

Her new book of poetry A Little Daylight Left, feels like a slight departure for me. The poems feel longer and wordier than what I remember of her work and more observational. I really enjoyed these but did feel myself missing the way her best poems will end with such a good kicker that makes you see everything that came before in a new light. I like the way she can fold a metaphor or a line over and over, changing it every time.

There were definitely some poems in here that spoke to me, the ones about family and friends, especially. Even if this isn't my favourite of her books, I remain a huge fan!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Bant.
781 reviews30 followers
May 31, 2025
I can’t say that I know how to read or review a book of poetry. But this is filled with beautiful language and it may be a comment on my general aesthetic, but I loved the poem about someone breaking into her car and stealing her vibrator (the thief is a monster!) This comes up again later and the crushing insecurity of that poem really resonated.
Profile Image for Maddie Lane.
32 reviews12 followers
November 6, 2024
What a beautiful collection of poetry from an incredibly talented poet. I’ve been a fan of Sarah Kay’s work since I first heard her in high school, and I consider myself so lucky to have been shown her work as a teen. Her writing is full of such beautiful imagery and emotion, there are many lines that stay lodged in my mind, coming to the forefront of my thinking in the moments where nothing else can really capture what I’m feeling. What a treat to exist at the same time as such a wonderful poet. What a gift to be able to receive this ARC, thank you Edelweiss and The Dial Press.
82 reviews
April 5, 2025
Oh my heart ❤️ Sarah Kay’s poetry is truly a gift to this world. She has been my favorite poet for 15 years and this collection reminded me why. While my favorite way to experience her poetry is live and in person, they still read just as well on the page.
Profile Image for Rob GQ.
335 reviews3 followers
April 4, 2025
5.00
En audiolibro es 11/10!
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