mama, am I going to make it, is it going to be okay will I lose my breasts, my hair, my eyelashes will I lose my identity, femininity, my dignity will I recognize myself in mirrors, in photos, in memories who will I become if I no longer look like your daughter mama, what do I make of this life that's not my own Grief, loss, isolation, depression... what do you do when, as a young woman, a cancer diagnosis crashes into your life, taking away your identity and your vision of the future? Crash & Bloom charts the poet's personal cancer experience as a young woman, in the middle of the pandemic, as she attempts to find her way forward. The poems in this collection are also a celebration-a celebration of life at its bare bones and the strength and grace that it's possible to find in times of extreme challenge. Crash & Bloom is dedicated to those moving through the stages of grief, and as a validation of young people with cancer, especially women, to show them they are not alone and there is beauty, joy, and creativity on the other side. when I was shaken off my feet I fell to the ground looked up saw the stars the mountains & felt the bliss of absolute stillness in my soul