Finding Yourself Once Again
A poetry collection about love, endurance, and returning to oneself
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Kelly Michelle Curry is a poet based in Arizona who has been writing since childhood. Finding Yourself Once Again is her debut collection, featuring poems written over four decades that explore love, loss, resilience, and renewal. Her work invites readers to believe in themselves and the possibility of beginning again. THE CHILD IN ALL OF US A child’s heart, Is so pure, Full of questions, Never quite sure. A child’s hands, Can seem so small, Yet they tightly grip hands of security, To catch them when they fall. A child’s eyes, Can be so curious, They are always open, To each new experience. A child’s feet, May not take big steps, Yet they always seem, To go so far. A child’s size, May seem small and meek, Yet the size of their heart, Is truly boundless. A child’s love, Is the most loyal of all, They hug you and kiss you, Forgive and forget all. Deep down inside, We don’t ever grow up, There is a child inside, Every single one of us. BLOOM Like the moment of dusk, The second the sun sets, You live amongst the beauty, This world has to give. The warm rain, On a bright summer day, The wet snow, Taking the same warmth away. Life is not what you expect, Sometimes it seems so unfair, But like the coming of Spring, Hope is always there. New things will always bloom, And everything will eventually die, Until then the possibilities are endless, So live life the absolute best way you can. We are all here for a reason, Which we may never actually know, But when the cold of this world Leaves you confused and suffering, Remember that the warmth of the world, Is there to help you to grow. HEARTBREAK The heartbreak lingered on, Long after the actual break, Because the heart can be, Unruly sometimes. The heart doesn’t listen, When you tell it to stop feeling, Your heart tends to take its time, It initially does more breaking than it does healing. My heart felt the break before it broke, But that made me so confused, Because ever since we fell in love, All my heart knew was loving you. You told me we were over, That time had caused us to grow apart, Telling that to my face, Doesn’t mean it registers at all with my heart. This process may take much longer, Than I ever imagined it would, I look forward to the day my heart stops aching, So it can love someone other than you. IN MY HEART I’M THERE What I want, And what I need, Are not the same, Sometimes. What I do to myself, And what I should do for myself, Are conflicting, Paradigms. My mind takes on, A life of its own, Not following what I want, Deep down inside. My actions do, The opposite, Of what’s good for me, Which leads me to keep hurting myself. I don’t want to do, The things that feel so wrong, That my body is tricking me, Into feeling are alright. My harmful behavior, Can start to change, If I am strong enough, To fight this fight straight on. In my heart, I am already there, Living a life of peace, Fulfilling my true destiny. In my mind I can see myself there, If I look real hard, So it’s time for the rest of me, To get me where I really belong. YOUR SPECIAL LIGHT Can you hear it? The flicker. Can you taste it? The burning. Can you feel it? The heat. Can you smell it? The smoke. Can you see it? The flame. That glow we all have inside, Is inviting us to see, The way to a brighter world, Begins with igniting a spark in you and me. Let your fire burn freely, Do not wait or hesitate, Because so much good becomes possible, When you shine your special light. The more your fire burns, The more it warms the world, Managing the flame’s direction, Has never been your purpose. You were meant to fuel the fire, With your heart and your intense light, You were given one responsibility, Which is to love with all your might. You can let go of the control, Let the embers dim then burn again, For as long as you are alive, There is always more fire within. LOVE Love makes the difference… Love for yourself, Love for one another, Love for the earth, Love for humankind, Love for the weary, Love for the strong, Love for what is right, Love for wanting to change what is wrong. If your heart feels love, There is no limitation, To the potential greatness, That is capable of happening. Love is the answer... And when given unconditionally, And in abundance, It will create, The internal and external peace, That this world is currently lacking. I AM EVOLVING I am evolving… More than ever before, I truly look forward, To all that life has in store. It is happening quickly, Because I have been stagnant for so long, I was slowly dying inside, Unable to thrive… All I could before, Was go along with what was happening in front of me, I did not know how to overcome, The pain I had buried deep inside. I was not able to stand up for what I wanted in life, Fortunately, I now know what I really want, Which is all that really matters, I need not apologize for who I am inside. Now I am evolving — For me, For my future, For the people I love and will love, To experience the risks I will take, And difference I will make, The lessons I will share, The times I will care, The things I will change, By just being there… Fully alive, Fully aware, Fully present, In all that I am living. I am evolving… And I am glad to be here, Now I can finally be free… Finally, I can be me.
Select Format
Book Details
About the Book
Finding Yourself Once Again is a poetry collection about change, endurance, and returning to the self you never truly lost. Written between 1982 and 2025, these poems trace a life fully lived—through love and family, hope and heartache, growth and reflection. What began as a quiet refuge during adolescence became a lifelong companion, offering solace, understanding, and a way to make sense of the world. In gathering four decades of writing, Kelly Michelle Curry returns to the voice that carried her through life’s seasons. This collection marks a homecoming—an invitation to reflect, remember, and reconnect, and a gentle reminder that growth does not mean leaving yourself behind. It simply means finding yourself once again. "These poems were written across many seasons of life—during moments of change, endurance, and quiet reflection. What began as a personal refuge became a lifelong practice of returning to myself. This collection is a homecoming. My hope is that somewhere in these pages, you find your way back to yourself, too." —Kelly Michelle Curry
About the Author
Kelly Michelle Long grew up on Long Island, New York, and moved with her family to Phoenix, Arizona at the age of nine where she still resides today having made many happy memories along the way. Kelly began writing poetry at ten years old, instinctively turning to words as a way to understand and express her emotions. Over the decades, she continued writing through life’s joys, challenges, and transformations, quietly nurturing a lifelong dream of becoming an author. Finding Yourself Once Again is her first published book and a carefully curated collection of poetry written over forty years. Her work explores love, family, life challenges, heartache, hope, self-reflection, and the enduring belief that each day offers the opportunity to begin again. Deeply influenced by her personal growth journey, Kelly’s poetry encourages introspectiveness, resilience, and faith in brighter tomorrows. Her greatest hope is that these poems uplift readers, remind them of their inherent value, and inspire them to believe—no matter how long the journey—that it is always possible to find yourself…once again.