EVERY HOOFPRINT

The following poem is one of many reflections and feelings that I had during my academic process. This article “The Academic Cliffhanger, My Letters from the Edge” may continue to be a miniseries of my reflections through letters and poems. The 10 Stages of My Numbness: I wear a dreaded face and walk with it on I look like a zombie, I'm turning into one I can't feel anymore, what if I bit off my tongue? Listing all my stages of becoming numb Two things I lost, work ethic and

Sometimes it takes a shift, or a change. Sometimes, it takes a new environment. For me, it took a trip. That’s right, it took me a trip to Baltimore to finally get my question answered. Maybe I couldn’t find the answer because I wasn’t asking around, but that’s just because I thought that the answer would have come from within. Ever since my drive and work ethic had changed toward my academics, I’ve been asking myself why did the change happen? What is so different about this

Resilience isn’t something you’re born with—it’s a choice. It’s the mindset that keeps you standing when life tries to knock you down. Being resilient means knowing your strengths, controlling your emotions, and adapting when things fall apart. Even the smallest effort—the mustard seed of “I won’t quit”—can carry you through. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about refusing to give up, no matter how hard it gets.

I flirted with failure and it became my first ever talking stage. It wasn’t my intention, but it happened. What started out as casual...