About:

“In the deepest hour of the night, confess to yourself that you would die if you were forbidden to write. And look deep into your heart where it spreads its roots, the answer, and ask yourself, must I write?”
-Rainer Maria Rilke
 
"I speak because I can. I write because I breathe."-DeKeshia Shanell Horne
 
Several people have asked me why I write now or how I began and the short answer is I write because I'm alive. That's not even me trying to sound poetic. Literally, I would be dead if I didn't write poetry. I know it may sound extreme or dramatic so I'll give you a little background just in case you don't know already. I will be as transparent as possible.
 
When I was a child, I didn't think I was good at anything. I've seen my father who was great at drawing & music, my mother who was great at teaching & nurturing, and my brother great at drawing & making people laugh. Eventually, I was good at reading books quickly. I always wanted to know how the story ended and somehow reading helped me achieve good grades. I thought maybe I was good at being smart...However, I didn't feel smart so I quickly brushed that thought off.
 
My twin brother and I used to make up songs for my Barbies because we formed a girl group and I also started to write short stories because I was unsatisfied with the books I was reading. My first poem was forced and under pressure but I still didn't consider myself as a writer. Even when I entered poetry competitions (Louder Than A Bomb), I didn't. After seeing so many young poets, I figured anyone can do this. After "A Soulful Journey", the short book of poetry I wrote to help pay for my high school's tuition (Fenwick High School), I knew that even though I was proud, I didn't feel like I connected to the material. When I was depressed & suicidal, I realized that anyone can write poetry, but I have to. With some encouragement and a couple of devoted readers, I was on my way to feeling alive again. 
 
Writing poetry is more than expressing myself. It has been ingrained in my identity. I'm sure many people can relate to being passionate about something/someone that eventually it becomes a part of them. Writing has helped me understand myself and the people that who are now my audience. It has helped me gained more confidence and knowledge which makes me unstoppable. I breathe poetry in & out. As long as I am breathing, poetry will be written by me. Being alive and writing poetry is my circle of life as a writer. Even though I sometimes struggle with what I want to say, I know that I can keep going in life. My dreams are getting bigger but I'm still aware of my accomplishments no matter how minor they seem to other people. Poetry is my main form of showing love to the people who sympathize with me. I'm grateful that I'm getting a broader audience. Please spread the word about this website. Thanks for reading. I know it was long but hey, I love to write.