Why I write

I write to relate,

and to speak my truth.

I write to prove I know pain,

and to see that others do too.

I write to be heard.

When the world becomes a deaf frustration,

no one stirring to a single word,

I share to keep me from total isolation.

I write for validation

not just from others, but also from me

to understand what's inside, to help me see,

and make sense of my situation.

When someone calls my work beautiful,

they're calling my pain beautiful

and my story meaningful.

I can't describe how much better that makes me feel.

I also write to obsess;

and I write for me. Not for fame.

I write to make art of my mess

and put the same thing in a million different frames

until I find the right one,

or have had enough fun.