what am i afraid of

In this debut collection, what am i afraid of, Leslie gives language to the fears we learn to bury-anxieties that hum beneath the surface, the ache of loss, the weight of loneliness, the restlessness of a mind that won't slow down, the endless spiral of overthinking. These poems speak plainly about thoughts many consider taboo, or believe they must carry alone, illuminating what so often lives in the dark.

With tenderness and honesty, Leslie's work does not seek to resolve fear, but to sit with it-giving it purpose, shape, and voice. Rather than offering easy answers, the book opens a space where dread, doubt, longing, and self-reckoning can be named without shame. Her hope is simple: that readers recognize themselves in these pages and feel less isolated in what they experience.

Blending evocative poetry with striking photography and fine line illustrations, what am i afraid of creates an intimate, reflective reading experience-part art object, part confidant. The visual elements deepen the emotional terrain of the poems, echoing their silences and intensifying their revelations. Each page becomes a small room you can step into: a moment to pause, breathe, and meet the work-and the parts of yourself you're still learning to name.

At its core, what am i afraid of is a companion for anyone living with anxiety, grief, or the quiet pressure of unspoken thoughts. It honors the complexity of inner life: how fear can be both a warning and a story we tell, how loneliness can sharpen perception, how naming the unsayable can soften its hold. These poems do not demand transformation; they offer recognition. And in that recognition, they offer relief-the sense that even the most private spirals have a language, and that language can become a kind of light.