to whom it may concern

you put the weight of your world
on my shoulders
now i am too heavy
to carry my own

In loving and caring for others, sometimes we forget to love and care for ourselves too. As we navigate through life’s challenges and focus on others, we get further away from ourselves. The weight we bear threatens to crush us, to drive us further into the ground. And after heartbreak and loss, what’s left? Who is left? It’s in the grief that we feel isolated, disconnected from our true selves and powerless. But we’re not alone.

to whom it may concern, sincerely, me is a poetry collection divided into three parts: depression, heartbreak, and self-love. These free verse poems illuminate the darkness of depression, expressing what is so often felt but left wordless, trapped inside of us. Poet Kyla Hawthorn explores the complexities of love by diving into her past relationships and heartbreaks with vulnerability and honesty. She unravels the inner turmoil between self-love and toxic love, between advocacy and complacency. These poems remind us that advocating for ourselves, living a life of authenticity, are important acts of self-love.

More than poetry, to whom it may concern, sincerely, me is a collection of self-help affirmations that encourage us to take back our power. When we take back our power, we can shed the weight of toxic relationships and situationships in our lives. We can be our true selves.