I write
When I am unaccompanied
When I feel weak
Disappointed
When I have been offended
I write

When I feel hurt
Lost
Tired of life
I write

When I feel scorn
Can’t find a shoulder to cry on
When I can’t find any support
Or feel lonely
I write

When I can’t achieve my goals
When I can’t open the door to success
When I get scared
When I can’t find the light
I write

When I hear the stories of my sisters
I hear they’ve died
Married too young
When I hear the cries of children in the street
When I know something is wrong
And I can’t help
I write

I write of my pain, my broken heart
My goals and my feelings
I write and I write
Writing is my medicine

A friend to share my wounds and joy
A shoulder for crying
A way to calm myself
A new world where despondency turns to serenity

If I don’t write
I will become a star that can’t shine
A fish out of water
A hungry lion
A cheetah unable to run
I will lose my strength
And the stunning world that I create for myself in my writing

If I fail to tell my stories of struggle
I will lose myself