01 / First Light
First Light
The Story
A timeline of how this book came to be.
even if all you have leftis yourselfthat is still a whole universeyou have.
the preface
Remember me as a time of day.
You Still Have Yourself is divided into five sections, each embodied as a time of day, each held by a different part of me that has guided me through cycles of self-discovery, loss and return.
inside the book
Five sections.
Five times of day.
A collaboration across time between who I was, who I am and who I am becoming.
a new dawn
I was never meant to only bea storm in someone else’s seaI was meant to growwith the ebb and flowof this boundless Sea of Light in me
from the pages
From the pages
I’ll offer you a trade,she said.Everything for everything.I didn’t get it at the timebut Life,oh,she had plans for me.go liveand growand write,she said.The story spokenacross the valley of your soul.and so,I have.and so,I am.The world has grownmuch bigger since then.I can feel my heart has too.I can feel my heart.
Let it come up to the surfacewherever pain lives in your bodywhatever ache sleeps in your heartlet the light that shines between usreach the deepest darkest partsand let it come up to the surfaceso it can finally be metnot with fearnot with resentmentnot with betrayalnot with regretbut only with love,amorOnly in Love.
All those years I spent in darknessserved their purposebut I'm ready nowto come out to the light.All that weight I used to carryserved its purposebut I'm ready nowto finally become light.I choose.I allow.I accept.I become.Light and lightness.Lightness and light.Come,be light with me.
what readers are saying
Praise
“This is the type of poetry that can open your heart while you feel tears of joy streaming down your face. I think Fernando Samalot is the heir of Rumi. If you love poetry, this is an absolute must read. This book will become a valuable tool on your personal growth journey.”
“Samalot's debut poetry collection paves the way for humanness in a way that we don't see often anymore. He has made triumph romantic and the process of healing? Entirely possible.”
“Honest, reflective, and quietly powerful. Fernando has a talent of using vulnerability to inspire.”
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poems and reflections · Fernando Samalot
the book
Pre-order the book.
Trade paperback · $19.00 list price · price may vary by retailer. Published by Atria / Primero Sueño Press.
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Buy the Spanish versionRelease · October 6, 2026288 pagesISBN · 9781668089361
eBook and unabridged audio download editions are also listed by the publisher.
Photograph by Dave Krugman
future updates
Future updates
Pre-order gifts, email updates, or event announcements will appear here when available.