We turn to poetry in times of joy, peace, fear, hurt… So why wouldn’t we turn to poetry as self-therapy when we’re searching for healing? Poetry has always been a way of processing hardships and challenges. My most difficult times led me to pick up my pen and write. With that came new insights, conclusions and most importantly, relief. Rarely did I think my time with my journal and pen would end in the creation of work I loved but it nearly always did. I found solace and stillness after the purging. Editing words to find exact expressions for what I felt allowed me to name what was once unknown within. Dictating how I wanted these stories of my life to be remembered helped me tiptoe my way back into my power. Re-reading the language I used to narrate my experiences helped me ask the hard questions. Why did I feel this way? What was my role in the manifestation of this experience? How can I grant myself and these memories more grace? Are these beliefs still true? Surrendering to the outpour of raw emotion has taught me countless lessons. The largest one of all is that I am safe