--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My first performance poem was about how…" description: "\"My first performance poem was about how sometimes I was teased for being manly, or a tomboy or whatever. It was saying how just because I looked a cert..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/sarah-kay-3508_certain_my-first-performance-poem-was-about-how_3018337.png" --- # My first performance poem was about how sometimes I was… ![“My first performance poem was about how sometimes I was teased for being manly, or a tomboy or whatever. It was saying how just because I looked a certain way and displayed myself a certain way didn't mean that I wasn't also a feminine human...a woman if you will.” quote by Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/sarah-kay-3508_certain_my-first-performance-poem-was-about-how_3018337.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/sarah-kay-3508_certain_my-first-performance-poem-was-about-how_3018337.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/sarah-kay-3508_certain_my-first-performance-poem-was-about-how_3018337.png) > “My first performance poem was about how sometimes I was teased for being manly, or a tomboy or whatever. It was saying how just because I looked a certain way and displayed myself a certain way didn't mean that I wasn't also a feminine human...a woman if you will.” [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The poem challenges gender stereotypes by asserting that outward appearance doesn’t dictate one’s inner femininity. **In simple terms:** Looks don’t define gender identity. Key Takeaway Embrace all aspects of yourself. Themes gender identity self‑acceptance expression Mood reflective empowering Type personal poetic When to use this quote - performing arts - school settings - online communities Key Concepts intersectionality gender fluidity self‑definition Questions to Reflect On - How do you express gender beyond appearance? - What stereotypes limit you? A Different Perspective May be misinterpreted as reinforcing binary labels. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feminine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminine/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Manly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manly/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) ## Related quotes > [I always felt like the male from the time I was a child. There wasn't much feminine about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-bono/i-always-felt-like-the-male-from-the-time-i-was-a-child-there-wasn-t/) [Chaz Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaz-bono/) > [I've come from a very masculine country to a feminine country. England was very masculine; people went from England to abroad, and they landed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-ve-come-from-a-very-masculine-country-to-a-feminine-country-england/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Every man ought to be in love a few times in his life, and to have a smart attack of the fever. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/every-man-ought-to-be-in-love-a-few-times-in-his-life-and-to-have-a/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [The strong manly ones in life are those who understand the meaning of the word patience. Patience means restraining one's inclinations. There are seven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tokugawa-iehiro/the-strong-manly-ones-in-life-are-those-who-understand-the-meaning-of/) Tokugawa Iehiro > [A gentleman, is a rarer thing than some of us think for. Which of us can point out many such in his circle--men whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/a-gentleman-is-a-rarer-thing-than-some-of-us-think-for-which-of-us/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [These manly sentiments, in private life, make the good citizen; in public life, the patriot and the hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-otis/these-manly-sentiments-in-private-life-make-the-good-citizen-in/) [James Otis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-otis/) > [These manly sentiments, in private life, make good citizens; in public life, the patriot and the hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-otis/these-manly-sentiments-in-private-life-make-good-citizens-in-public/) [James Otis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-otis/) > [For a thousand years no king in Christendom has shown such greatness or given so high a type of manly virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-parker/for-a-thousand-years-no-king-in-christendom-has-shown-such-greatness/) [Theodore Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-parker/) > [It is not merely true that a creed unites men. Nay, a difference of creed unites men - so long as it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/it-is-not-merely-true-that-a-creed-unites-men-nay-a-difference-of/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [I have a lack of practical skills. I can't mend anything or do anything manly; I don't understand how anything works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/i-have-a-lack-of-practical-skills-i-can-t-mend-anything-or-do/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [Give up the belief that mind is, even temporarily, compressed within the skull, and you will quickly become more manly or womanly. You will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-baker-eddy/give-up-the-belief-that-mind-is-even-temporarily-compressed-within/) [Mary Baker Eddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-baker-eddy/) > [Think about it. He drinks poison. What kind of man drinks poison? She is the one who stabs herself with his dagger. The manly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-fortier/think-about-it-he-drinks-poison-what-kind-of-man-drinks-poison-she-is/) [Anne Fortier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-fortier/) > [By experience; by a sense of human frailty; by a perception of "the soul of goodness in things evil;" by a cheerful trust in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-william-robertson/by-experience-by-a-sense-of-human-frailty-by-a-perception-of-the-soul/) [Frederick William Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-william-robertson/) > [Self-negation is noble, self-culture beneficent, self-possession is manly, but to the truly great and inspiring soul they are poor and tame compared with self-abuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-julius-ii/self-negation-is-noble-self-culture-beneficent-self-possession-is/) Pope Julius II > [Girly’ products can spur Japan’s growth in this century every bit as much as, if not more than, the ‘manly’ technologies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morinosuke-kawaguchi/girly-products-can-spur-japan-s-growth-in-this-century-every-bit-as/) [Morinosuke Kawaguchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morinosuke-kawaguchi/) ## More by Sarah Kay > [It’s not just the adage ‘write what you know,’ it’s about gathering up all of the knowledge and experience you’ve collected up to now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/it-s-not-just-the-adage-write-what-you-know-it-s-about-gathering-up/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [Thinking about writing as an act of celebration is sometimes a helpful framework for me. It allows me to prioritize what I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/thinking-about-writing-as-an-act-of-celebration-is-sometimes-a/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [I don't think it's about art being a career but it's about making sure that if art is something that you love, something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/i-don-t-think-it-s-about-art-being-a-career-but-it-s-about-making/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [I use poetry to help me work through what I don’t understand, but I show up to each new poem with a backpack full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/i-use-poetry-to-help-me-work-through-what-i-don-t-understand-but-i/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [“Once, she fell off of a ladder when I was three. She says all she was worried about was my face as I watched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/once-she-fell-off-of-a-ladder-when-i-was-three-she-says-all-she-was/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [“I love you as much as the ocean kisses the shore no matter how many times it is sent away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/i-love-you-as-much-as-the-ocean-kisses-the-shore-no-matter-how-many/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [I write poetry to figure things out. It's what I use as a navigating tool in my life, so when there's something that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/i-write-poetry-to-figure-things-out-it-s-what-i-use-as-a-navigating/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [Not all poetry wants to be storytelling. And not all storytelling wants to be poetry. But great storytellers and great poets share something in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/not-all-poetry-wants-to-be-storytelling-and-not-all-storytelling/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [Poetry makes people nervous. Especially in schools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/poetry-makes-people-nervous-especially-in-schools/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [There are parts of me I only recognize from photographs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/there-are-parts-of-me-i-only-recognize-from-photographs/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [“What is it about immortality? With the right sword and shield, we think we can fend off anger, fear, and hatred. If our legs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/what-is-it-about-immortality-with-the-right-sword-and-shield-we-think/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [“And the spaces that he never saw: the ones my parents had labeled private parts when I was still small enough to fit all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/and-the-spaces-that-he-never-saw-the-ones-my-parents-had-labeled/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [Think it's so unfair when people think that you're not a "real artist" unless you're getting paid for it…I personally know so many poets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/think-it-s-so-unfair-when-people-think-that-you-re-not-a-real-artist/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [“There is a girl who still writes you; she doesn’t know how not to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/there-is-a-girl-who-still-writes-you-she-doesn-t-know-how-not-to/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [My first spoken word poem, packed with all the wisdom of a 14-year-old, was about the injustice of being seen as unfeminine. The poem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/my-first-spoken-word-poem-packed-with-all-the-wisdom-of-a-14-year-old/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) [Explore all 129 Sarah Kay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) ## More Certain quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [People don't always realize that a record is forever. It'll always be there under your name. You've got to be certain that it's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-iero/people-don-t-always-realize-that-a-record-is-forever-it-ll-always-be/) [Frank Iero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-iero/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [Why do we love certain homes, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/why-do-we-love-certain-homes-and-why-do-they-seem-to-love-us-it-is/) T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings > [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [We've all seen talented young players who get to a certain level but there comes a point where that talent will only take you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-gatland/we-ve-all-seen-talented-young-players-who-get-to-a-certain-level-but/) [Warren Gatland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-gatland/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-think-that-at-a-certain-age-say-fifteen-or-sixteen-poetry-is-like/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [If a person does not listen to the demands of their own spiritual and heart life and insists on a certain program, you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/if-a-person-does-not-listen-to-the-demands-of-their-own-spiritual-and/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) Browse all 13,673 Certain quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My first performance poem was about how sometimes I was teased for being manly, or a tomboy or whatever. It was saying how just because I looked a certain way and displayed myself a certain way didn't mean that I wasn't also a feminine human...a woman if you will.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sarah Kay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/my-first-performance-poem-was-about-how-sometimes-i-was-teased-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Certain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/my-first-performance-poem-was-about-how-sometimes-i-was-teased-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/sarah-kay-3508_certain_my-first-performance-poem-was-about-how_3018337.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/sarah-kay-3508_certain_my-first-performance-poem-was-about-how_3018337.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e58/sarah-kay-3508_certain_my-first-performance-poem-was-about-how_3018337.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My first performance poem was about how sometimes I was teased for being manly, or a tomboy or whatever. It…” — Sarah Kay", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sarah Kay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My first performance poem was about...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/my-first-performance-poem-was-about-how-sometimes-i-was-teased-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/my-first-performance-poem-was-about-how-sometimes-i-was-teased-for/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```