I started writing poetry in August of 2009, a couple years after my parents got divorced. I remember my mom, brother, sister and I had just moved into a beautiful home on the bay. It was a very emotional time period. I wasn’t exactly sure how to cope with what was occurring and I didn't know what to do with all of the weird, confusing emotions. I realized that maybe if I poured my soul out onto the page, that the pain, sadness and confusion would subside. I found that once I started writing, I couldn’t stop. Alongside my passion for photography, poetry has become an innate part of me. I have always considered myself to feel things very deeply and to see the world in an emotional way that is hard to articulate to others; poetry has helped me to make sense of what goes on inside my mind.

"It hurts because you feel too much, because you care too much and because you feel connected to it all no matter how far you go." -r.m. drake

When I started at Alfred University, I took many poetry courses that pushed my skills even farther and although it was extremely challenging at times, it taught me that I can clarify the message of my poems even more. I have developed the ability to communicate with others in a way that is hard to do out loud. It's not often that you hear someone say that they love to write or read poetry, but I have found myself lost in the words of my own as well as others. There is nothing that resonates more with me than reading a stranger's poetry and feeling something, anything. As I am growing up, I realize that this world seems afraid of emotions and runs from the thought of facing their demons, speaking the truth and finding meaning in a place that may seem meaningless. But, I crave to feel things and to ponder them and to see where my thoughts take me--poetry helps me to be comfortable with facing my demons, speaking the truth and finding what life means to me. Through my poetry, I have come to appreciate and cherish the beauty around me, even if from afar, it seems to be soaked in sadness.

I have chosen three poems that will be shared alongside this article. They are among the many that I have written. Yes, I swear in most of my poems; I write about other individuals (positively and negatively); some of these poems may not even make sense to you. They most likely have errors here and there, but these three are the most raw and personal poems that I found myself willing to share. If you find yourself relating to these poems or if you feel any type of emotion when reading them, then I have succeeded in my desire to impact those through my words. I contemplated placing a short blurb before each poem to describe what it means to me. But, I have come to understand that the beauty of poetry is finding a meaning distinct to the reader themselves. Enjoy, xx