Kelsea Ballerini gets very personal in the poems that make up her very first book, called Feel Your Way Through, which is in stores now.<\/p>\n
She touches on such childhood experiences as having an eating disorder through her teen years as well as surviving a high school shooting and watching a class member die.<\/p>\n
In the poem titled “Kangaroo,” Kelsea writes,<\/p>\n
“A boy named Jackson called me ‘kangaroo’ when I was a freshman in high school … he explained this new nickname because of my belly and little legs.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
As a result she “battled bulimia, took diet pills and worked out excessively until, at age 18, she sought help after passing out ‘several’ times,” according to People magazine. Kelsea said, “It’s a journey, and it’s never-ending.”<\/p>\n
In the poem called “His Name Was Ryan,” Kelsea details watching her 15-year-old classmate Ryan McDonald get shot in the chest and die at the hands of another 15-year-old classmate in the school cafeteria. Kelsea writes,<\/p>\n
“His name was Ryan, and he died on the cafeteria floor from a gunshot wound to the chest. I can’t be too sure, but I think I saw him breathe his last breath. I’m scared of loud noises, I’m triggered by the news, I’m terrified of guns, I’m sensitive in crowds. But I’m alive. And because of a boy named Ryan, I know what a gift that is.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Feel Your Way Through: A Book of Poetry was released on Tuesday, November 16th.<\/p>\n