South High School sophomore Umaima Ali has published two books of poetry on Amazon, sharing her writing with others. She wrote the 75-page book, "The Heart's Vulnerability," which she followed with 101 pages of meaningful poems in her second project, titled “Count My Heartbeat.”
Umaima makes it a habit to keep a journal in which she consistently expresses her thoughts on paper. She attributes her inspiration behind publishing the books to her love of poetry, combined with her experiences at South and the support of her former English teachers.
“I’ve always had a heart to reach out to others and make them feel a certain way that could bring back memories or experiences,” Umaima said. “I want their spines to shiver at a sentence, their eyes to light up, or maybe even crack a smile. My poetry is meant for others but also meant for my state of mind, it gives me satisfaction.”
Umaima has sold approximately 30 books since September, and her next goal is to find an editor/publisher that can broaden her exposure even more. In addition to her passion for poetry, which she plans to maintain as a hobby, Umaima has an interest in criminology and aspires to pursue a career in the FBI post-education.