Beneath My Skin, a raw and emotional poetry collection of diverse forms, sits at about 170 pages, completed at just over 15,000 words. Each chapter encompasses different stages of healing as I grapple with my sexual identity, domestic violence, and the complex immigrant experience.

For years trauma defined my life. I voyaged from conflict to conflict, stomaching soul-crushing mockery of a hostile culture that frowns on queerness—navigating long, tedious bouts of questioning my sexuality and my worth with only short pauses to take a breath.

Penning five chapters of unimaginable childhood trauma allowed me to reflect on the violence my family and myself had endured at the hands of my abusive father. No longer haunted by the memory of my traumas.

Not afraid to face the darkest parts of me. I am gripped by the arc of my radiant life, celebrate my flaws, and embrace my traumas—this book is my hope of healing my wounds while empowering other Queer people of color to find value in their stories.

Beneath My Skin is a beacon of light to those who often do not feel seen or heard. In the current political climate that we are living in, where our rights and lives are being threatened, this poetry book seeks to amplify the voice of those who often society tries to cast aside.

This creative expression of art demonstrates that my story, our stories, are praiseworthy and cannot be suppressed. Beneath My Skin is raw, authentic, and the pure definition of resilience.

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