This is me...

To me Everything is grey No  Black and white  To be tarring  The merry murmur  About.  A greyscale Portrait of the  Infinitude Of ourselves.  I live  In the grey.  Where shards hold  Spray Of the  Winter sea.  Grey But lightened And  Brightened By the moon And the morning sun.  The dim light of dawn Is my home.  It makes me,  So many ways  . As an early riser.  I feel bereft But okay.  Okay  To be  As me.  One word would destroy that So don't say Don't speak  Don't lie I have been  Through too much  Already.  But I get my strength Back and back From the sounds of  Home.  Of life.  Interrupted.  To journey  With my dog To the dawn.  I will live a whole day soon  I await it To meet myself  In the dusk.  .  To then Sleep a restful sleep  Dream a restful dream.  But what if a poem  When the words wi...

It stung It steamed Me close  With a crack All the way  Through myself  A broken  Doll.  Porcelain? How can that be! Myself?? A doll In a bell  Jar.  Night time terrors  And dreaming chasms Of black Dark Night Mares.  . Alone  For  Who can possibly understand? Therapy Medication  Drugs  Alcohol But to be free  To be me Involved  Dying.  So here I am  After the  Aftermath.  Blending my skin tone In the toulouse sun.  As part of a  Future posse.  With the support of the  Above  To defeat The below.  And my Demons.  Everafter I will be  Carefree Happy go lucky Free spirit.  But now? I'm in a complicated  Cage,  A budgie Being transported From one dream  To another  That's how to  Safely transport  A budgie  But I am claustrophobic  And want to sing  All the way  To the high ceiling  But it's too pa...

From Conformity to Colour: Fashion as a Pathway to Healing Complex PTSD – A Personal Autoethnographic AccountAbstract This reflective paper explores the author’s journey from wearing undifferentiated, fast-fashion “basics” (primarily Primark) through a punk phase to embracing vibrant, intentional colour and eclectic styling as a form of self-directed recovery from Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). Drawing on concepts from narrative identity construction, identity fluidity, and colour psychology, the author attests to how clothing choices served as both mirror and catalyst for reclaiming agency, integrating fragmented aspects of self, and fostering emotional regulation. This account contributes to emerging literature on fashion as therapy in trauma recovery.Introduction Complex PTSD, arising from prolonged or repeated trauma, often fragments one’s sense of self, leading to dissociation, low self-worth, and a diminished capacity for authentic self-expression. Traditional “b...