Authentique

The title for this, my fifth collection of poetry, is French for "authentic." It is a nod to my French-Canadian heritage. I have come to believe that life has three distinct phases. The first one is figuring out who one is truly is - not who others want us to be, but who the authentic person is inside each of us. The second and more difficult phase is learning to love and accept that authentic self. Finally, one must strive to then live authentically. Many of the poems in this collection attempt to address these challenges of the human condition. They reflect my attempt to live an examined life while being also true to myself.