Pretty in Pain (Paperback)

This is my return

to myself

every feeling I suppressed

to mask my sensitivity

came rushing

begging to be seen

This is my urge to you

to feel everything

and to seek yourself

before seeking anyone

you are someone

you are your sanctuary

return to it

Randa Desouky is an Egyptian-American poet and artist. Pretty in Pain is her first short piece of poetry, made for young empaths to embrace their sensitivity to the world, and find power in their empathy. Randa has an academic background in psychology, and currently studies applied behavior analysis. As a mental health advocate and empath, she writes from a lens of a young adult with high-functioning depression. Through this poetry you can expect to feel some of the expectations to remain pretty when in pain. With a cultural and foundational belief in collectivism, she presents this book as a means to destigmatize sharing deep emotions in all communities. She hopes readers will seek community and lean on others as a result. Randa aims to branch out this first book into a series, forming a guide specifically for women, toward self-love. Through her advocacy and clinical experiences with young women, she has gained a focus in her art and in her life, by centering women in as many conversations and spaces as possible.