The Reckoning: An Interactive Book of Poetry & Prose

by Ashley Kester

I always knew the day would come. I had always felt something pulling me toward some unknown destination, some purpose that I felt existed outside of but including me. That’s why I wasn’t exactly surprised when my life started taking odd twists and sharp turns. I was never really used to boring or normalcy anyway, but this was unexplainable. It was like I awoke in a foreign but familiar body, experiencing a foreign but familiar life. All of a sudden I started to feel as though, up to this exact point, I had been simply watching myself from the inside, going through the motions; participating in my life in almost a sleepwalk-like manner. Then, it happened... I opened my eyes and went from thinking that I was in full control of my own being, to actually being so. Life is more than it seems. Life is not what it seems. For the first time, my brain had gotten a glimpse of what the secrets of life could be, and since then I have been unable to let the advancement of thought process, and studying of the subject, go. We all have a pivotal moment that changes every fiber of our being so deeply that, even if desired, we could never see ourselves the same way as before again. A moment that convinces the soul forevermore that we are so much more than our shell and the thickness of our wallet. A moment that connects you back to yourself... makes you want to be you again, and realize that nobody else but you, ever could. This moment for me, ultimately became the reason that everything that I had been through became worth it, and was my motivation for each step that was to follow, no matter the difficulty. In order to understand the significance behind how profoundly that moment changed my life, we must begin at what I will now (in retrospect) be able to "That time I overstayed my welcome at rock bottom. Went on to discover that my entire life I had been living with multiple mental health illnesses, misdiagnosed on several occasions and never treated until recently in my adult life. Since learning what is going on with me, I am able to better help myself and hopefully others deal with the symptoms and ailments that stem from having Borderline Personality Disorder, Bi-Polar, or PTSD, etc. The goal of this book is to shed light onto the way that people with mental illnesses aren't just able to 'turn it off' for the convenience of others. A diagnosis can really test your mental stamina and strength, and we begin exactly This is the poem that I wrote the night Before I actually put pen to paper to write this book. My mindset was

105 pages, Paperback

Published April 7, 2022