I grew up in a small suburban town, just north of New York City. I had a great childhood, as my parents did everything they could to provide for my siblings and I. I have come to love my siblings, as the rivalry we had when we were younger was quite intense. This book of poetry represents seven consecutive years of my life (1997-2004) and the numerous phases and mind- sets I experienced. I have been through a number of different struggles, from death to my own personal battle with alcoholism, but have ultimately cleared my mind and finally accepted who I am and what life has dealt me, good or bad.

I was given the opportunity to travel the United States in the summer of 1999. I took the trip alone, sleeping most of the time in the backseat of my 1984 Oldsmobile Delta 88. Looking back, the trip saved my life. Before the trip, I tended to take life too seriously. I was always stressed out about work, about school, just about life in general. I turned to the bottle to relieve all the stress I felt. After the trip, the stress was gone, but the bottle was still there.

I reached my lowest point in life in October of 2002. I realized that I was slowly, but surely, killing myself with alcohol. I turned to my niece and nephew and realized that life was too short to begin with, that I wanted to see them grow, and that the world could actually be beautiful.

I would like to give special thanks to the Che's Poets (for giving me the boost I needed to start writing), David Carver, Dolores Mahoney, Glenn Walski, Richard O'Brien, Eileen Janowitz, Roland Mills, Paul and Antoinette Havercamp, and the countless others I have not mentioned.

A very special thanks to Cyberwit.net, Patricia Platan and family, Edward Roth III, Eishichi Ishii, my niece and nephew (for keeping my life afloat in my time of need), Margaret and Frank Platan, Frank Pearson, Dorothy Stepina, Gary Pearson and family, Dorothy Kennard and family, Christina LaTorre, PoetryDatabase.com, Jacqueline Delalla and family, and all the people that have inspired me. I could never have done it without you.

           Thank you for reading.

                                   Kenneth Francis Pearson