
"Captured Moments" emerged from a period of transformation in my life. What began as a collection called "Counting Dandelions" evolved into something new after my darker poems found their home in "Dive Bars & Empty Glasses." This separation was more than just an organizational choice – it reflected my own journey from darkness into light, from self-doubt into self-acceptance.
This collection represents a point in my life when the heavy shroud of depression and despair began to lift. A time when I finally began to forgive myself for all the ways I believed I had failed, when I started to accept myself for who I truly was. Each poem captures a moment of healing, a breath of peace, a glimpse of joy – small but significant moments in the journey toward self-love.
While the collection isn't explicitly about my identity as a transwoman, I wove this truth into its cover in a subtle but deeply personal way. The cover art, created with multimedia elements including cutouts, photographs, markers, pencils, and crayons, holds a secret that few know: I took a picture of a young boy, printed on a home printer, and carefully drew in longer hair and a dress. This hidden element was my way of making my truth visible.
The crying figure on the cover might seem at odds with the collection's themes of joy and acceptance, but it connects directly to the poem "Little Girl in Pink" – a metaphor for the gift of finally accepting myself. These tears represent long years of sorrow, but also release and recognition, marking the moment when we finally allow ourselves to be who we truly are.
The poems in this collection celebrate the ordinary moments that take on extraordinary meaning when despair lifts and are viewed through the lens of self-discovery and acceptance. They capture memories, experiences, and observations that might seem mundane on the surface but carried profound significance in my journey of healing. From the way sunlight filters through leaves to the quiet peace of a morning cup of coffee, each poem preserves a moment when I felt truly present, truly alive, truly myself.
What makes these captured moments so powerful is not their grandeur but their simplicity. They represent the everyday moments that mark the path of healing - the first time you laugh without feeling guilty, the moment you realize you're no longer constantly looking over your shoulder, the dawn when you wake up and feel at peace in your own skin. These are the moments that remind us that healing isn't always about dramatic transformations – sometimes it's about learning to find beauty in being exactly who we are.
As both a poet and activist, I believe there's revolutionary power in celebrating these quiet moments of self-acceptance and joy. In a world that often tells us we're not enough, that we need to be different, better, more, simply claiming and celebrating our authentic selves becomes an act of resistance. Through these poems, I hope to encourage readers to pause, to notice, to appreciate not just the world around them, but their own presence within it.
The journey from "Counting Dandelions" to "Captured Moments" parallels my own path toward self-acceptance. Just as the collection found its true form when I allowed the darker poems to exist separately, I found my own truth by acknowledging all parts of myself – the light and the dark, the joy and the pain, the past and the present.
Each poem in this collection is more than just a snapshot of a moment in time – it's a testament to the healing power of presence, the beauty of self-acceptance, and the joy that becomes possible when we allow ourselves to simply be. While readers might not know about the subtle nod to my identity on the cover, they can feel the authenticity and hard-won peace that infuses these poems.
You can purchase Shooting Stars and Origami Swans at your favorite bookseller.
My collections available on Amazon
Shooting Stars and Origami Swans
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