To Whom It May Concern

These poems talk about mental illness, fear and loneliness but they also tell stories of resilience, love, forgiveness and hope; hope more than anything. It's hard to put hope into words without trivializing pain but we must try. We need to remember our words are powerful. The hope that lives in them is powerful. There is hope even in the harsh words, even in the ones laced with despair because we are still here to write them, to say them, to scream them. There is power in knowing we can keep going even when it hurts and that it's okay to talk about that pain. It's okay to talk about hope too. It doesn't invalidate or erase your pain. Healing doesn't erase your story. May these words serve as a reminder that as much as pain is universal so is hope. They are both ours to share.