For this anthology of poetry, I would especially like to thank, first of all and most of all, my fianc of a dozen years, Ms. Kristin Neal. Without her impenetrable help and care, I would never recognize the myriad benefits that love inspires in me, in this kind of blank verse. I would also like to acknowledge the support of Mrs. Maguy Joseph, who was my companion in Paris for the past six years. For many years, I have struggled to fill pages of prose, such as many notebooks. I never dared back then to compose any poetry. Significantly, I awoke one day and found (to my surprise) a penchant for rime; albeit blank verse. From many lines, I have consolidated these thoughts into a book of verse, about: holidays; Starbucks; war; love; black issues; and many others. (This is even a sampling.) Thank you to my readership for experiencing this with me. Sincerely, William H Friedman.