Lyrical Gemstones II is a collection of short stories, song lyrics, and poetry given to the world by a blessed man to enjoy. The beauty is in the attempt as these words impart passion, dedication, love, and life through a mélange of literature lovingly crafted and painstakingly edited. These are imperfect masterpieces, which, like life, reflect the journey and not the destination, yet also remind us that no gemstone shines without polish. Charles Bailey is an award-winning poet, author, former student journalist, and lyricist native to Atlanta, Georgia. In 2012, he became a cancer survivor of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and graduated cum laude from Georgia State University in 2016 with a bachelor's in English creative writing. His literary accomplishments include first prize in both fiction and poetry categories in Clark Atlanta University's writing contest in 2011, publishing his first book Lyrical Gemstones: A Collection of Heartfelt Poetry in 2014, being published in several college journals such as Catalyst, The CAU Review, and Underground. Charles was also named Reporter of the Year in 2016 by The Signal. Charles Bailey writes lyric poetry, erotic fiction, imaginative fiction, and song lyrics and has been writing actively since he was twelve. In his spare time, he enjoys being with his loved ones, reading, playing video games, performing at Atlanta open-mic nights, and works to become a US poet laureate and a New York bestselling author.