Six Interesting Things about Me

Every Pulse Is Mine

Who’s Really Writing My Poems?

I write poetry from the fire in my chest—from heartbreak, obsession, longing. Every line begins inside me, with a pulse I can’t ignore. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the questions writers often face: when someone helps shape your words, where does your voice end, and someone else’s influence begin?

The Role of Guidance

Sometimes we get help—feedback, suggestions, or guidance. That can be amazing for clarity, rhythm, or flow. But the key is this: the ideas, the emotion, the pulse—they start with you. The guidance should never override your vision, never dilute the fire that made the poem yours in the first place.

I make every choice about what stays, what goes, and how it reads. If a line doesn’t feel like me, it’s gone. The poem only lives if it still feels raw, jagged, and human—like the heartbeat that started it.

Editors: Another Kind of Influence

Editors can do incredible work—helping polish structure or shape a piece for readers—but they inevitably bring their perspective. Their suggestions may shift the work, even subtly, toward their voice. That’s why it’s so important to know where your boundaries are and make sure the final piece still reflects your chest, your fire, your scars.

The Difference That Matters

The difference isn’t in the help you receive—it’s in who owns the emotion, the imagery, and the ideas. If the piece still feels like you in every line, it belongs to you. If it starts feeling like someone else’s vision, it’s no longer fully yours.

Questions for Other Writers
• Where do you draw the line between help and intrusion?
• How do you preserve your voice when someone else shapes your work?
• How do you know a poem is truly yours at the end of the process?

For me, the answer is simple: every idea, every pulse, every line is mine. Guidance or editing can help me hear my own voice clearer, sharper, and stronger—but the fire, the obsession, the longing—they are mine and mine alone.