Real Girls Don't Break Pretty: A Collection of Panic Attack Confessionals

Real Girls Don't Break Pretty: A Collection of Panic Attack ConfessionalsWhen a panic attack hits, most people try to breathe through it. I write. These poems aren't pretty reflections written in the calm after the storm-they're lightning caught on paper, scratched out between hyperventilation and heartbeats trying to break through ribs.

Anne Sexton taught me it was okay to write with blood on your teeth. She wrote about madness and motherhood with zero apologies, threw societal expectations the middle finger, and made art from the messiest parts of being human.This isn't the kind of poetry that gets taught in schools. It's raw, uncomfortable, sometimes ugly-because that's what truth looks like before we pretty it up for consumption. If you're looking for gentle metaphors about flowers and healing, this isn't your book. But if you've ever found yourself falling apart and making art from the pieces, pull up a chair. Let's be messy together.This collection of 44 poems is divided into five raw, unfiltered sections: Women and Society, Lost Loves, Abuse, Mental Health, and Motherhood. From counting kids' breaths at 3 AM to surviving stuff that should've killed you, these verses capture the parts of life we're told to keep quiet about.CONTENT WARNING: This collection contains raw explorations of trauma, including domestic abuse, mental illness, suicide, panic attacks, and parental fears.