US author and former First Lady of California, Maria Shriver, described her marriage with actor Arnold Schwarzenegger as “pain and prison” in her new memoir titled, “I Am Maria”.
In her book, Shrivers reflects on poems that grapple with identity, grief, love, loss, longing, heartbreak and healing.
Her deeply personal poems address life’s transitions, challenges, successes and failures. Vulnerable and deeply moving, Shriver’s words are a collection of her life experiences woven into poetry to inspire everyone on their journey.
Shriver shares details of her marriage from when she first fell in-love with the actor in 1977, describing it as love at first sight. However, things took a turn in 2011 when she learned that her ex-husband was having an affair with their family housekeeper, Mildren Bana.
She recalled, “He smiled, laughed, looked you up and down/It happened before you knew/and then you did/ It would take you from there to her/ From love and freedom/ to pain and prison.”
The 69-year-old who got married to Schwarzenegger in 1986 also wrote another poem which says, “I heard the words/ But I had dissolved I wasn’t there/ The moment changed everything/ Nothing was ever the same again.”
Schwarzenegger and Shrivers were married for 25 years however, Shrivers filed for divorce in 2011 after learning that the actor fathered a child through his affair.
Shrivers also took to Instagram to announce that her book is available and that the journey of writing it helped her find her voice and sense of being.
“Today’s the day! ‘I Am Maria: My Reflections and Poems on Heartbreak, Healing, and Finding Your Way Home’ is finally here! I never imagined I would write a book about poetry, but this journey has helped me find a voice and a sense of being that led me home.
“I hope this book inspires you, helps you look within, and motivates you to find that voice that you might have within yourself. To everyone that has already ordered, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Order your copy now in my link in bio.”