In "Necessary Rebirths: A Collection of Poems and Prose for Awakening, " poet and writer Nicole M. Long explores her journey through depression, anxiety, and all of life's in-between stages. Sometimes dark and mostly self-affirming, these poems about life and the resiliency of self-love gives readers a glimpse into a life unraveling in perfect synchronicity.

"One day, I woke up, and I didn't recognize my life, " the author remarked when discussing the book during a private reading. "I had all these things to show for a life well-lived, but I wasn't happy… I couldn't help but think, 'Wow, is this all there is to life?'"

The author describes this book as a coming of age, one where an objective view produced the launching pad for making peace with the past and commanding a brighter future. Written over three years, this collection of 122 poems and prose circumvents convention and aims for honesty and authenticity.

Through shorter pieces like "i belong to no one, " and "one source, " Nicole laments at the assumed responsibility that comes with taking part in an interdependent family and the notion that we all originate from the same God-like energy. While longer pieces like "intimacy and me, " and "keeper of self" shows the author's growth in accepting accountability for herself and the chaos she brought into the lives of others.

Nicole concludes "Rebirths" ends on a lighter note to remind us that pure magic unfolds when we slow down and silence the noise of our minds.