Poems of Longing
takes readers through an intimate journey of human conditions that include love, heartbreak, and ultimately, the rediscovery of self. These poems explore the liminal spaces between the desire for connection and the quiet, often overlooked quest for self-love. While we often hear that "self-love is the best love," this trope can feel like a hollow platitude until lived experience reveals the spiritual, soul-searching depth of that realization. It is sometimes through trials, emotional risks, and personal retreat that one begins to understand the difference between seeking validation from others and finding fulfilment within.
As social beings, we are instinctively drawn to seek approval and affection; from childhood's eager need for parental acceptance to adult relationships where love and belonging are woven into the fabric of our existence. Yet, for many, even the appearance of confidence can mask a deeper, lingering longing to love and be loved. This universal desire touches each of us, and perhaps it is a need we will continue to carry throughout our lives.
In all the manoeuvres through life and relationships, we can lose ourselves but this pamphlet slowly builds us to prepare for that moment of self-discovery and self-acceptance. That pivotal point where we realize we are enough. When we can finally say:
My sanctuary resides
in the ancient crevices
of my heart.
Only I
hold the keys and
I am locked within.