I write to survive. Poetry has always been therapy for me. My mother instilled a love for reading in me at an early age. Books became a welcome distraction from the agony of adolescence. Even as a child, I was aware that I was different from the other kids at school. I was picked on. I was "too fat, too ugly, and too nerdy". I had the "wrong clothes, wrong shoes, and wrong hair". Needless to say, I was desperate for an escape. Books provided me with that escape. Motivated by my love of music, I began writing songs. However, it became obvious that singing was not my forte. To my family's dismay, I was oblivious to this. After enduring several of my after-dinner performances, my mother suggested I write poems, instead of songs. She pointed out that poetry was to be spoken or read and no singing was required. That moment changed my life. A writer was born. It is for that reason that every word I write is in honor of my mother. I believe that my poetry has saved my life on many occasions. I've been on the edge so many times, yet I always manage to write my way back. I was broken. The words put me back together.