Painandresilience Stories

"Perfectly Fine." is a collection of raw, unfiltered poems about teens who look okay on the outside but are unraveling on the inside. It speaks for the kids who pass in hallways unnoticed, who joke too loud, smile too easily, and carry scars-fresh and faded-beneath their sleeves. These poems confront abuse, addiction, silence, anger, grief, identity, and survival without sugarcoating or glamorizing the pain. From the aching nostalgia of childhood lost and the fear of growing up too fast, to the secret battles behind a filtered smile, to the invisible pressure of fitting in, to the unspoken ways we ruin ourselves and each other-each piece is a different voice, a different truth. Teens hiding behind laughter, rebellion, and curated personas are given space to speak, to scream, to be seen. This collection exists to say what so many are forced to swallow: we are not okay, and pretending we are is killing us.

"Before legends are born, they must first learn to bleed." In the decaying concrete labyrinth of PPR Sri Murni, Haikal bin Sulong, a 17-year-old boy, shoulders a life far beyond his years. With a sick mother, a younger brother to protect, and debt collectors circling their door, Haikal survives not through strength, but through unbreakable endurance. He has no dreams of greatness. He seeks no glory. He only refuses to bow. But when he defies brutal debt enforcers to protect a helpless neighbour - choosing wounds over surrender - rumours begin to echo through the corridors: "Dia lelaki yang tak sujud pada kegelapan " Bruised yet unbroken, Haikal becomes an unseen signal - not to the world he knows, but to a hidden world watching silently from the shadows. Though he remains unaware, his resolve has stirred an ancient presence, one that weighs men not by strength, but by sacrifice. As the storm of global unrest edges closer - from distant battlefields where warlords rise - a silent fate begins to turn its gaze upon him. This is not the story of a chosen hero. This is the story of a boy who chose to stand.

Not all fairy tales have a happy ending, and not all smiles reflect joy. Uchungu is the epitome of beauty,a rare goddess who graces the earth with an enchanting smile. But behind her captivating exterior lies a story of unimaginable pain, rejection, and survival. From the moment she was born, life seemed determined to break her. Rejected at birth, orphaned young, abused in childhood, and a victim of rape, Uchungu's journey is one of heartbreak and resilience. As an adult, the world sees her as a "victor" who overcame her past to build a life of grace and success. But behind closed doors, Uchungu's battles continue. Married to a man who was once her refuge, she becomes a silent victim of gender based violence (GBV). What happened to the love she thought would heal her? How did her life, filled with so much promise, become defined by pain? Uchungu: The Pain That Knows No Bounds is not just a story, but a mirror reflecting the untold realities of life. It's about the strength it takes to endure, the courage to survive, and the silent battles fought by women who wear their scars behind smiles.