Overview

This anthology of poetry and stories are insightful reflections of life written by residents of Carmelitos in Long Beach, CA. The project demanded the entire year of 2016 to complete and it revealed how the power of a shared community goal intrinsically motivated members to persevere and get words to paper. The group wrote tirelessly and the process generated confidence that their poetry and stories mattered to the world. The written words inspire, and bring hope and strength to those in despair. In the end, the reader appreciates that courage and faith in God is required to restore true and sacred living. The pain we all are vulnerable to experiencing lifts when we no longer feel hopeless and trust that God remains our secure, spiritual base and lifeline. The poetry in this anthology will reveal how one discovers insight into the real self, how we search for light in our passage out of darkness and find the courage to reinvent ourselves. The aging process, what it reveals to us and how to appreciate the beauty of God's creation can be healing. The art in the book captures the world as the "artist sees it." In the end, this anthology will be instructive and compel the reader to conduct a self-analysis to enhance self-awareness and meaningful living.