shadow.self.

Internationally celebrated voice actor and author, Joe Arden, opens his mind and heart in this scintillating outpouring of original poetry. Accompanied by black-line illustrations, Arden’s work bleeds from the page in the same emotionally-charged fashion as his lyrical performances of the countless love stories he’s told throughout his career.

Herein lies a raw exploration of duality, darkness, and desire. A collection of sonnets, haikus, and free verse that brings to the surface our fractured pieces and celebrates how the light and the dark blend to make us whole. An invitation to embrace the shadow and give it its rightful place as a part of the self.

The power you’ve hidden underneath glows,
Who told you to bury your beautiful?
Every scar tells me what your body knows.
Your presence to me is immutable.