Emergency Sternotomy

For years, I sat in silence—words trapped inside me like blood pooling in the pericardium, suffocating my heart. Therapy felt like flatlining in a chair, my memories fragmented, my pain without language. Until one night, I wrote. And the words spilled out like an emergency sternotomy—splitting me open, releasing the pressure, letting my heart beat freely for the first time.In this spoken word poem, I explore the desperation that led me to poetry, the fear of breaking open, and the unexpected healing found in writing. Some people stutter when they speak but sing without hesitation. This is my song.#SpokenWord #Poetry #MentalHealth #HealingThroughWriting #TraumaRecovery #PTSD #Therapy #SurvivorStoriesCopyright ©2025 Kate EarleyMusic: Teenage Dream (Olivia Rodrigo) by Minnz Piano