The Beauty In Us

There I was, waiting to take my placement test with the hopes of achieving a score that was high enough for me to secure a spot into one of the top magnet schools in the nation. A few months later, I stood there, shocked to find out that I had the score I needed to gain acceptance into the program of my dreams, but my dreams and vision for myself and others did not end there. I cannot believe that with prayers and persistence, I have been blessed enough to release the second book in my book series. Where has the time gone? When the first book was released, I introduced myself to you guys as my readers. This time, I have decided to try a deeper and broader approach in my ministry. This book of poetry dives into the beauty as well as the struggles of manhood. Ever since the release of my first book, I have still been working on myself. The fear of the unknown, the fear of failure, the fear of feeling insignificant, and feeling ugly every time I look at myself in the mirror are the fears and thoughts that still whisper in my ears and ones, I still wrestle with. I wrote this book because I want to challenge other young men. I want them to confront their demons as I have been since the first book's release. I often think that many men have a hard time identifying the true meaning of manhood, and they have a difficult time understanding the concept of what it means to be a man in several periods of their life. I am approaching the age of 21, and I sometimes forget that there are so many young men in their early 20s who are still in the process of discovering who they are and what they want. Some young men in my peer group struggle with trust, some have a difficult time finding a positive male role model, and some have grown up in environments filled with abuse, addiction, abandonment, and neglect written all over it. The themes that correlate throughout the course of this book include self-reflection, mental illness, faith, unity, independence, and forgiveness. These all fall under various aspects of a young man's life and in his relationships. These components of his well-being help him grow throughout his journey. In the Bible, God placed men on earth to protect and provide, but I find that women need a little more than that from men. Love, loyalty, faithfulness, honesty, companionship, friendship, laughter, and support. These are some of the qualities that are missing from the archaic thinking in the minds of men who are deeply insecure. It is evident that many men are in touch with their masculinity, but, as the prince of vulnerability, I think it's time for us to explore the components of vulnerabilities in these spoken words. Ladies, I hope that this book speaks to you of the qualities you want-or do not want-from a man and maybe too what you want in yourselves. I also hope that by reading this second edition, you can remind each man in your life of how handsome he is inside and out.