The poems in this collection were part of a healing journey without any filtering by the mind. ; they brought with them insights, incredible peace, and a new way of living. The choice of topics for this anthology was not haphazard. The main challenge of this journey was to come to grips with emptiness that seems ubiquitous in this world and the realization that people's emptiness is theirs to own and live with. As this insight grew, it was necessary to find sources of richness in the world in order to find balance; awareness emerged as the main sources of joie de vivre. Early poems on hope and faith pointed the way into the future and built the foundation for acceptance and a new way of living. The final topic of love and soul was very unexpected as it developed as the result of a wonderful change in my life. Through an extraordinary and unlikely chain of events, I met an amazing, generous, warm, kind, and strong woman who is full of joy, love, laughter, and passion for life. Within only a few weeks, I came to realize that she was my soulmate. I never knew that such a love could exist. This anthology is thus also the story of this meeting. The crisis and its subsequent miraculous resolution and journey have redirected my life and my relationships in surprising new ways, giving me new energy, new confidence, and new purpose.
