soft in four places

2026
printed zine on vellum paper, hand-bound with nylon thread
5 ½ × 6 inches

An internal conversation about vulnerability, inspired by work I’ve done using Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy. The pages are printed backwards on vellum paper, then flipped and folded for binding. The vellum allows for text to echo beyond its intended place; through every additional layer, it softens.

I designed this to be read in multiple ways.

The main poem reads, “even my most stubborn parts, under pressure, become tender. anger, understood becomes sadness, familiar. when immediate reaction takes on a past role, i always ask: who else is in the room? who taught me to deny my inherent softness? i slow it down, trace the answer with(in) my body. what if i want to see the end before we get to a beginning? if my fear fills in an answer, there’s no space left for intimate connection. can i give myself the chance, at least? gentle and deserving, i surrender.”

When you flip to the middle of the zine, the corners read, “even when / always tender. / gentle beginning? / intimate surrender.”