Soft Scars & Steel Hearts

I never set out to be a poet.
I set out to survive.

This book isn't just ink on pages - it's the sound of my engine when my voice wouldn't come out. It's the bite of wind on late-night rides when I couldn't sit still with my thoughts. It's the sharp edge of memories I've tucked under leather jackets and fake smiles. It's every bruise I called "nothing," every heartbreak I masked with sarcasm, and every tear I wiped away before anyone could see.

I've been the safe place, the strong one, the fighter. But not without cost.
Behind the armor, there are soft scars - reminders of battles I never wanted to fight. But there's steel here too - forged from pain, lit by rage, cooled by the wind I chased on open roads.

These poems are pieces of me I never had the courage to say out loud. They're for the ones who feel too much and show too little. For the women who wear leather like armor and still cry in parking lots. For anyone who was ever told to be strong - and broke quietly anyway.

So if you're holding this book, know this:

You are not alone in your ache.
You are not broken - just rebuilt differently.
And sometimes, the softest hearts grow the strongest shields.

This is for you.
For us.
For the ride.

- Gia🖤
A girl with a ghosted past and gasoline in her veins.