poetry was my crutch.
i started writing poetry for fun when i was 12,
got diagnosed with anxiety at 13,
and then kept writing because i had to from 14 onwards.
i didn’t know how to talk about it. no one seemed to notice or want to ask about it.
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so… i just wrote.
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some years i didn’t write; some years i wrote so damn much.
PRAISE FOR ANXIOUS(ED)
"[anxious(ed)] is unbelievably emotional and while I cannot reach out to its author at the age of 19 and embrace them, I can tell the author now that their work is beautiful. That this book is worthy. That they are exceptional and I am grateful for their courage in sharing the journey. Very highly recommended." - Jamie Michele, 5 Star Reader's Favorite
"Karen has a mastery over her craft and pens some thought-provoking verses that make you introspect and leave you with something to contemplate. The broader narrative feels like an exploration of the human condition in all its myriad of aspects." - Pikasho Deka, 5 Star Reader's Favorite
"I believe the most unique and enthralling element of this collection is watching the poet’s work transform and mature over a decade, with steps forward and returns to pain, along with changes in style, together with a powerful, distinct voice." - Savannah Aldridge, 5 Star Reader's Favorite
anxious(ed) is a dive into my personal mental health journey.
it's a collection of 70 poems/prose i wrote from the ages of 14 to 25.
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i never thought i'd share these writings with people because i didn't really... plan on writing them?
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putting my feelings into poetry was just some visceral thing i had to do because i didn't have an outlet for the jumbled shitshow going on in my head.
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i don't like a lot of these poems, and i love even fewer...
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...but poetry is subjective, i think. so, i hope you find at least one that makes you feel something.
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