Meanderings & Melancholy: Poetry, Essays, and Short Stories (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798999671066)

Meandering about, have you heard the phrase? It's defined as following a winding course. My brain meanders through the paces most days. Focus is hard to attain; I do the best that I can to be present. I do what I can to move my world forward; yet I stare toward a straight line and my mind wanders... The melancholy comes from my soul's path to try and find a light of positivity. I won't stop.

As a writer, many ideas leave my mind and stay on the laptop screen. I save them and sometimes there are great moments and other times, well, they go only as far as being saved.

Meanderings & Melancholy is a journey that took some time to put together. The problem was, of all the things written: What fits and what stays on my laptop? The book consists of poetry, essays, and short stories that describe where I am at the present in my life's journey.

Poetry is a different side of me, kinder than much of what I write. I found that I have had that side of me for most of my life, but writing poetry makes me feel vulnerable. I believe that poetry is like writing a song that expresses opinion and bares the writer's soul. So, yes, poetry has a beautiful melodic tone that introduces the reader to the heart of the writer.

Essays are opinions shared by the writer that can go to extremes, and there will be some that it's too much or too far. But an effective essay makes the reader think. Do you agree with the writer's outlook or verbiage? Or is it all too much for you? Being able to differentiate between the simple facts from an opinion is important. Don't write off someone if you disagree. Try to understand and just move forward with the discussion. Share your opinions with others. The thing about essays is simply to encourage a dialogue.

Short Stories are my more creative voice; they help me express the more outlandish and fantastical ideas that keep my brain jittery at night. The lives and events that make it to the reader have gone through iterations and changes. The stories that move forward will at times be challenging to digest and internalize; don't fear good readers, the moments will make for a proper journey for all of you.