Dear Reader,

 

First, thank you for being here! I consider it a privilege that you are taking the time to read my poetry. This is truly a celebration of 30 years of writing. Writing has always been my go-to outlet for relieving anxiety, pain, rage, stress, happiness, delirium, or sadness I may be experiencing. Sometimes, paper and pen were the confessional I could turn to, where I knew I wouldn't be judged by whatever feelings I had to express. 

 

I never thought of sharing these works until I cleaned out my attic recently and found a folder of unrecorded songs, unfinished ideas, random scribblings, and tons of poems from anger and pain I've long since moved on from. Some situations almost killed me, and others have been peacefully resolved since then. But the one thing that stuck with me as I sat and read all of this was that, at the time, I felt like I was at rock bottom and that nothing would ever work out for me.

 

When I read the poems I'd written more recently, I realized how far I’d come, how much I'd learned, and how much I’d changed for the better. I made mistakes along the way — A LOT OF THEM — but through all the heartbreaks, the mistakes, the regrets, the rage, and the endless hopelessness, I ended up in the best place in the world. Had I given up at any point, I would've missed the peace and love I have today. I credit my writing these poems as a way to get out all of my emotions, clouding all my senses, to be able to look back, take responsibility for my part, recognize the mistakes others made, and learn from it all, becoming a wiser version of myself.

 

So, I decided to compile this poetry book full of years of my secret feelings. For better or worse, immature or wise, right or wrong, joy and heartbreak, rage and peace, every emotion I went through is typed in these pages. May they bring you comfort and hope that things do get better and that happiness is within reach, even when you don't see it at the time. Don't give up. Never give up. You'll never know what is around the corner, and it may be all you've ever wanted — thorns and all.