"I spend my life ripping the skin off of words, exploring and hoping..." Succinct expression capsules Northern California artist Marques Vickers' poetic anthology "Unicorns and Dark Chocolate" Vickers sheds the mythological orientations behind his own formation into a cohesive exploration of inspiration and eroticism. As he the painter must lift his brush to express visually, he the poet must elevate language beyond the evident and obvious. Over three hundred diverse poems, compiled over thirty-five years, preserve the nuance of romance amidst the littered topography of iconic stone cathedrals. By examining his own-mirrored reflections, Vickers navigates an elemental path amidst the chaos of existence. Art is romance, romance is art. His transparency of thought becomes his instrument for transfiguration. His tinted bur certain palette remains concise and distinct.