Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. You only leave home when home won't let you stay.

That's a line from Morrison Shire, a Somali British poet who's out with her first collection titled

Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head. That particular line comes from a poem she wrote after visiting

Somali refugees living in Italy. And it really captures this feeling of being forced to leave

your home, of being chased out with a gun at your back. Of course, this feels extra relevant today

with the war in Ukraine. But honestly, there isn't a time when it, sadly, isn't relevant.

Shire tells NPR Sarah McCammon about how she had to flee from Mogadishu when she was a year old

and what it's like carrying the weight of that. But also about how writing helped her get through some

difficult moment. In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.

Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors. On our new show, Sources and Methods.

NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.

Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

You might know Somali British poet Worsenshire's work from her published chat books

or the popular Tumblr account she maintained for a few years, but you'll likely recognize

her words best in the mouth of Beyoncé.

I don't know when love became elusive. What I know is no one I know has it.

My father's arms around my mother's neck. Fruit too ripe to eat.

That is from Beyonce's 2016 visual album Lemonade, which featured Shire's poetry.

Now, Worsenshire, whose work often focuses on the experiences of the immigrant community she grew up in, has her first full collection of poetry coming out.

It's called Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head.

And Worsen Shire joins us now from Los Angeles to talk about it.

Thanks so much for being here.

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