Peeling Back Identity

We wear identities like costumes long before we know they’re masks. Society labels faster than it listens. Prison sharpened that reality for me. Recovery sharpened it further. My work asks: Who are you when no one is watching? And who are you choosing when everyone is watching? Growth starts inward, slowly, imperfectly, intentionally. Poetry helped me test answers, not prove them. A pen can be a shovel, a spotlight, a shield, a surrender. Dig gently, write honestly, and never assume your story is finished. Identity isn’t found, it’s faced, and refaced, until it feels honest enough to walk with.