This is a collection of prose and poetry on human spirit, one of the themes being love, albeit failed love. Its importance is to illuminate the matchless power of love, even when it is love spent without return or love bestowed beyond all prudence. This manifests as strength, resilience, wisdom and a strong determination to overcome. As such, unconditional love is its own reward in a world where millions of women are subjected to use and abuse because their naivete or kindness is mistaken for weakness...or perhaps because cultural, religious or familial ties require that they endure it. Some of these poems and essays exist to shine a hard light on these unfortunate and dreadful circumstances, because this is where truth often hides. The hope is that there is enough beauty, contemplation and in-your-face rant scattered throughout these shadowy places, so that the reader's experience isn't rife with gloom, depression and scattered entrails "