The Gift (I) by Valerie Parente
You didn’t break me
you broke down everything around me
so that I could see
what it really means
to be me.
– Valerie Parente (5-24-2021)
The Gift (I) by Valerie Parente
You didn’t break me
you broke down everything around me
so that I could see
what it really means
to be me.
– Valerie Parente (5-24-2021)

The Beauty of Darkness (III) by Valerie Parente
I do not feel shame
when I am in pain;
I feel grace.
Pain gives you the opportunity to create
something authentically great
from a negative space
and it shows the utmost grace
when you can find honor
in an unfavorable mental state.
– Valerie Parente (11-6-2020)