By Robbyn J. Edmonds Ellender Eric Dean Edmonds was born in North Carolina in November 1961 to Harry Lloyd Edmonds and Gloria Faye Madewell. He was unfortunately born into a family with a history of mental illness. Eric lost his mother at a very early age and with a father in the Air Force, Eric and his siblings were first raised by Aunt's and Uncle's in Virginia and Texas. Eric was later placed in the Methodist Home for Boys in Waco, Texas where he learned many daily living skills that proved to be very useful in his adult life. Around the age of twelve, Eric was able to move out of the shelter of the boy's home and move to Virginia to live with his father who had since retired from the service. Around the age of twenty, Eric was diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder, also known as Manic Depression. Placed on medication, Eric was like many, on and off again experimenting with "elf medicating" yet many times he recognized his need to seek medical help. During one of his self-medicating moments there was a terrible accident and Eric almost lost his life. He was hospitalized for over a month after slipping into a coma and after receiving the proper care and the loving support of all of his family, he eventually recovered. Throughout the years, poetry had become sort of an escape and a way to express his feelings without having to face anyone; his self-controlled emotions. His poetry has changed over the years and Eric now realizes that with the proper controlled treatment and medications and with the love and support of his family, life is so much better. With this, is the hope that these poems will help others perhaps understand the emotional ups and downs they themselves or perhaps a loved one who may suffer from the anguishing disabilities of Manic Depression.