Through this research, I illuminate the power in creating curricula that honor Black poetic excellence as a means to support and affirm Black high school students. To do so, I explore the poetry writing of two Black ninth grade students, Brandon and Nyla, and the importance of their participation in the Scholar Collaborative, a school-based, pre-college course that highlighted Black poets. Data sources include Brandon and Nyla's written poems, interviews, and observations of Scholar Collaborative sessions. Third Space theory provides a framework for understanding how the Scholar Collaborative operated as a space rooted in pedagogical love for Black students, their lives, and their poetry. Additionally, the findings highlight how Brandon and Nyla used poetry-writing to detail experiences that both challenged their identities and strengthened their self- acceptance and self-love. Study data support the implementation of curricula that draw on Black poetic excellence to affirm Black students through supporting their literacies and lives.