This book was written based on my experiences in matters of the heart. I realize that at times the heart tells us things that our brains don’t comprehend, but we know that we really feel this way. Take for instance teenagers. I suppose that when we mature as adults, we say that we were "infatuated" with love or that we really didn’t love the person that we were in love with. Please let me tell you that this process of thinking is wrong!

Feelings are feelings, and we must deal with them, whether real, false, love, hate, etc. Shouldn’t it be us that deal with our feeling and not have our feelings deal with us? Are we that lovesick, heartbroken teen that aches for someone to love him/her? No, so how dare we tell our daughter/son what to feel. I believe that be should let teens express and deal with their own feelings and only offer sympathetic, understanding, and sound advice, unless of course they will be physically hurt, then that protective "mother lion" in all of us have to say something.

So, how do we teach our children what love means? We don’t! I mean, will they believe us anyway? I believe that in matters of the heart, words can speak louder than action and perhaps poetry is the path to do so. I mean, what is a lyric, but poetry in music and what is speech, but poetry in motion? Perhaps by reading this book, someone who is heartbroken will look at the good things in a relationship and reflect on those good things as a learning experience and also learn from the bad things as well. By doing so, he/she will not make the same mistake again (we hope).

I hope that I have shed some light on this crazy thing called love and have made at least one person, whether male, female, adult, or child (especially teenagers) feel that there will ALWAYS be someone in the world (aside from God) who knows what he/she is going through, has been there, and had learned from these experiences whether good or bad and will turn them into a beautiful gift for all the world to share.

Carlos A. Cook was born March 11, 1972 in Detroit, Michigan. A typical teen, he went to many of the crazy problems of being a teenager: awkwardness, infatuations, and peer pressure. Fortunately for him, he came to the realization of the breaking up and making up of relationships, romantically speaking, of course. He soon came to the point where he would channel all his hurt, happiness, and love, whether infatuation or not, and put it into a format that all ages would understand . . . poetry.

A person of average intelligence, when writing in high school English class, he found that he was rather good at putting words to paper, a method he actually experimented with at ten, just six years prior to the start of this book. He developed a great admiration and interest for the likes of Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, and William Shakespeare.

As luck would have it, he would actually take the writings in this book into his early twenties, finishing it at twenty-three, and learning a few things along the way. He hopes to soothe that crazy fire inside all teens and make them realize that there are people out there who understand them.

Innocence

At first life is joyful, everyone’s at peace.
One brother love another, miracles never cease.
Yet there is war, violence, and crime towards one another.
It’s man against man, girl against girl, brother against brother.

Shots are fired, ending innocent lives.
Husbands dies and widow their burdened wives.
Nothing is said as we kill our fellow man,
No action is taken, just a gun in our hand.

And as we take innocent lives, we smile.
Ignoring our morals just to be of a certain style.
Only to get decorated with medals.
While our fellow man is under rose petals.

When that man you call enemy is in his grave:
You rejoice and think you are brave.
Then when you return home happy and content
Think of all the lives you’ve spent.

Then when it’s over, you know the score.
It’s still 0-0 so must you fight anymore?

Lover’s Kiss

The moon entices romance and makes passion flare.
Cupid dances rapidly, so suave and debonair.
As the midnight air hugs our bodies tight.
We hold each other as we dance through the night.

Gentle breaths of life are received with every kiss.
Our passion is salvation and love our wedded bliss.
Though society holds up, we make our love grow.

The eyes of time may cast our destiny ashore.
With every waking moment then on I will love you all the more.
Old or gray, it doesn’t matter to me.
I will love you no matter what our status may be.

Confusion may come along and rear its ugly head.
Our trust will be our guide, we won’t be mislead.
As I place the golden symbol on your left hand:
We are united as one and as one we shall stand.

You pull me to your breasts as to put me in your heart.
I embrace you with every warmth of my love never to depart.
We are embarking on a journey, you and I.
It will only end at the moment that we die.

Even then, our souls will dance across the stars.
Our love is never taken away, true love will be ours.
For that we must be faithful and willingly insist.
By sealing our special bond with a lover’s kiss.

The Path of the Sun

Cutting into my being is the love that I hold for you.
When you are ready to accept this gift, say "I do".
I sometimes look to the future with a joyous hope.
For memories pain my heart to love you, so I cope.

Dealing with another’s arms across your heart daily hurts me.
I wish that it were me, yet for now my fantasy deserts me.
I know that someday you will faithfully return.
I grow stronger daily, but it is your love that I yearn.

"Someday...someday..." I constantly mumble.
My love for you weakens my soul to be humble.
Let this be the woman that I desire to wed.
Patience leaves me empty and left guessing instead.

"When will she return?" to God I earnestly ask.
He merely sends me away to complete another task.
Still, I wonder if my love will be nothing but vain.
Then God comforts me as my tears fall like rain.

I don’t understand why I am daily followed by this cloud.
Perhaps it is to be joined by you and be heavenly endowed.
Although I vaguely believe that this affair is true
My heart weakens more and I’m falling deeper in love with you.

I dare not request to hold you in my arms.
For you’ve denied your passion and refused my charms.
And so, I wait for the day to be finally joined as one.
Meanwhile I look ahead and follow the path of the sun.