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  • The Paris Review

    Poetry Rx: You Are the Penultimate Love of My Life

    by Sarah Kay Dec 06, 2018 5 minutes

    In our column Poetry Rx, readers write in with a specific emotion, and our resident poets—Sarah Kay, Kaveh Akbar, and Claire Schwartz—take turns prescribing the perfect poems to match. This week, Sarah Kay is on the line.

    © Ellis Rosen

    Dear Poets,

    I’ve never been in a relationship. I’ve crushed, I’ve rejected, I’ve (potentially) stalked, I’ve dated, I’ve idealized, I’ve fallen for fictional characters, I’ve kissed—but I’ve never been in a relationship. I realize I don’t need a partner to live my best life, but all the same, I crave it. I crave a hand in mine, a jaw to nuzzle, an ear to whisper into, a voice reading to me. Is there a poem that expresses this craving without viewing romantic love as a life-altering, world-saving thing?

    Best,

    Not Lonely, Just Looking for a Lover

    Dear Not Lonely,

    I love this request. And I’m thrilled to

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