Faces of Long Island celebrates the uniqueness of everyday Long Islanders. In their own words, they tell us about their life experiences, challenges and triumphs. Newsday launched this social media journey into the human experience to shine a light on the diverse people of this wonderful place we call home.

‘Because faith lives within the core of my existence, I willingly choose to bring God into every part of my life, including my writing.’

Nesconset

“Ever since I was 7 years old, I’ve been writing poetry. It was always this therapeutic channel for me, but as I grew older, my mindset began to shift, and I began to realize that this was not just a form of therapy, but rather an actual passion that was growing deep inside me.

“One of the things that made me further grow in love with writing was watching my mind collecting emotion and experiences from not only myself, but from those I interacted with. In doing so, I was able to manifest those diverse perspectives into relatable forms of art that I could share with those around me.

Through my poetry, I found a way to include God in something I’m truly passionate about, and to me it truly is the perfect synergy.

“The cumulation to all of this was my first poetry collection publication, entitled ‘Water Lilies,’ in 2018. My intent in publishing this first collection was to help men and women of all ages through touching on themes like love, heartache, grief, loss, depression and finding faith throughout it all.

“Because faith lives within the core of my existence, I willingly choose to bring God into every part of my life, including my writing. Through my poetry, I found a way to include God in something I’m truly passionate about, and to me it truly is the perfect synergy.

“I know that God loves each of us, and I want to share that truth with the people around me, because oftentimes I am shaken by some of the messages that I receive on my Instagram writing page from people who feel so broken and lost and ask me for prayers.

“In those moments, I am humbled because I recognize that we each endure our own silent sufferings. My Instagram page and my publications of poetry remain a place where people can be heard, prayed for, loved, healed, connected, inspired and certain that they are never alone.

“I will be releasing my second poetry collection early 2023, which will encompass similar themes, but this time I am embracing technology to execute and influence the narrative. I pray this next book reaches as many people as possible, and that those who find themselves holding a copy of my book are able to experience the same blessings I felt as I wrote it.”

Interviewed by Jenna Kern – Rugile

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