The Necessity of Ashes

<p>With each new love interest</p><p>you put checks in boxes </p><p>hoping that he will embody </p><p>all those non-negotiables on your list.</p><p></p><p>Because you know that the man who checks all those boxes will be...</p><p>perfect.</p><p></p><p>But the man standing before you at this moment...</p><p>he's not.</p><p>So what now?</p><p></p><p>Do you accept him as he is or continue the search for Mr. Perfect?</p><p>Do you try to change him? The list? Yourself?</p><p>Or will you question it all knowing that the answers you find could burn everything you know to ashes?</p><p><em>The Necessity of Ashes</em> is a poetic journey that serves as a memoir on love. This story explores how life experiences and idealistic expectations can influence for better or worse our ever-evolving perceptions of love and our sense of self. </p><p></p><p>Inspired by the author's own experiences the poems chronicle the thoughts feelings and circumstances of a young woman searching for her ideal romantic partner. As she experiences the joy and pain that come with these encounters she realizes that ultimately she will have to decide...</p><p> </p><p>... what's worth keeping...</p><p>... what's worth questioning...</p><p>... and what needs to be burned.</p>