Biography Ebooks: Free ebook sample of "Somewhere Between Lost & Found: Selected Poems of M. Andre Lewis" by M. Andre Lewis (powered by Smashwords)

The title of this book is really a perfect way to describe the period in my life when these poems were written. It started when I moved back home after graduating from college, and ended when I moved out on my own a few years later. In between these two markers, if you will, were many experiences, which led me to be the man I am today. Writing these poems replaced my friends from college who stopped calling once I wasn’t around, and my friends from “around the way” who didn’t include me in much, as I had been out the loop for so long.

After graduating from college, much to my surprise, I felt no real sense of accomplishment. Add to that, no direction, no plan, and no money, and like so many others in my generation, it equaled me going back home to live with mom. Returning to live in my neighborhood wasn’t easy. Contrary to what you may think, it had nothing to do with my pride or the fact that it wasn’t such a good neighborhood. It had more to do with this new person I was becoming. I changed my diet, started to form my own beliefs and value system, and started on a quest to become my own person. In addition to forming my own beliefs and values, I also started to become much more socially conscious. Now that sounds like it would be a good thing but most of the time it just felt like a heavy burden, as I returned to see many of the evils that I must have just been so use to before that I didn’t see.

Being educated both formally and on the streets, I thought I was ready to handle anything thrown my way (I’m sure a lot of you reading this know just how wrong I was). That way of thinking led me to make a lot of mistakes, some small and some huge. Some so huge, in fact, that had those situations turned out differently, my life would be headed in a totally different direction. By the grace of God I was able to face, get through, and learn from these experiences. My experiences, feelings, thoughts, and the things I saw going on around me during this time were the inspiration for each and every poem in this book.

It was hard for me to come to the decision to publish this book, mainly because the content is so personal. But ironically, that’s exactly the reason why I decided to do it.

Writing for me has always been therapeutic. I knew I always had a constructive way to express my feelings honestly and as often as I needed. Hopefully this book will inspire other young people to find a way to express themselves and not hold everything in (we all know what built up anger, disappointment, anxiety, fear, etc. can do to someone if they have no positive way to let it out). I recognize that not everyone is a writer or a poet. So for those who can relate to any of these poems but won’t be inspired to write themselves, this book can serve as an acknowledgement to their feelings and let them know that they are not alone.

In addition to wanting to share my experiences and possibly help others, I published this book because I think it is important that people see another young black man doing something positive. Too many people in older generations think my generation is full of young black men who want to be thugs, rappers, athletes, or some combination of the three. I intend to do everything I can to help dispel that myth. Hopefully I am a good example that there are young black men who want to be good men for their women, good fathers to their children, and good human beings for the world.

I hope you enjoy, God bless.

Poems Inspired By Life Experiences

The best lessons, the best sermons are those that are lived.

—Yolanda King

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