Hi, my name is Michele. I was diagnosed with a mental illness over twenty years but have been living with it for much longer. My first book of poetry, After the Fire Comes the Rain, was released January 20, 2026. After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders, I spent ten years in the care of psychiatrists, therapists, in-patient and out-patient psychiatric hospitals, on medications, and unable to leave my home unless necessary with a great deal of anxiety and panic. With the help of my medical team and support from family and friends, I learned how to live life again. My mental illnesses have not and will never be cured. This is a lifelong battle I have learned and am still learning to live with. I hope that through my poetry and this blog other’s dealing with mental illness will never feel alone or give up hope because there’s a light out there, you just have to keep fighting.

Michele Furnaros – Author, After the Fire Comes the Rain