Kissing Catastrophe

<p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)><em>Kissing Catastrophe </em></strong><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>is not simply a collection of poems. It explores the nuances and complexities of the age-old hard-to-answer question: </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>how can I love others when I can't love myself?</em></p><p><br></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Self-love is a concept that the author has always had difficulty grasping whereas loving </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>others</em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> has always come naturally. </span><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)><em>Kissing Catastrophe</em></strong><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> tackles this internal battle in two parts: The Kiss which highlights the kind of love she freely gives and feels for the people in her life--even the ones who are no longer in it; and The Catastrophe which delves into all the reasons she's afraid she </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>can't </em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>be loved the way </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>she </em><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>loves and all the frustration and misery that comes with that debilitating loneliness. She ultimately draws the conclusion that no matter her past no matter her pain </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>she is worthy of unconditional love.</em></p><p><br></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)><em>Kissing Catastrophe</em></strong><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> is a relatable introspective must-read for anyone struggling to find love within themselves in the aftermath of love gone horribly wrong.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Some nights I don't mind the silence.</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>I find myself there better off somewhere</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>that isn't where you left me.</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>I find I am beautiful in the silence</span></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>like I could never be in your presence.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>In that silence </span><em style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>I've found peace.</em></p>