Foreword                                           xi
Acknowledgments                                    xvii
From Loren J. Blanchard                            xvii
From Keith W. Shelton                              xviii
From Billy Mims-Goodman                            xviii
Introduction                                       xxi
    The Tree of Life                               1    (78)
      Born                                         4    (28)
        Learning to Forgive Father                 4    (5)
          Eurmon Hervey, Jr.
        Remembering My Grandmother                 9    (3)
          Joseph Young
        Apprectiation to Mother                    12   (1)
          Henry Batiste
        At the Brink of New Life                   13   (4)
          Billy Mims-Goodman
        A Call to Ministry                         17   (2)
          Reverend Whitney G. Harris
        Grandpa's Death                            19   (2)
          Keith W. Shelton
        The Pecan Tree                             21   (4)
          Issac L. Boose II
        Superwomen                                 25   (4)
          Darren Rhym
        Life Is Different                          29   (1)
          John J. Schmidt
        The Family Room                            30   (2)
          Corey M. Porter
      Bred                                         32   (25)
        Father Figure                              32   (2)
          Kevin Lee
        Daddy's Little Man                         34   (1)
          Jason Bradley, Sr.
        My Daughters' Perspectives                 35   (1)
          Marc A. Medley
        Adolescent Growing Pains                   36   (5)
          Reggie Shuford
        Birthday Greeting                          41   (1)
          Marvin Mayfield
        Trying to Be a Good Father                 41   (2)
          D. Robinson
        Understanding Social Conditions            43   (4)
          Raymond E. Janifer
        Coming to Grips with the Past              47   (2)
          David Breedlove
        Calming the Turbulence in Your Soul        49   (3)
          Cion Joseph
        Changes in Our Relationship                52   (2)
          D. Robinson
        Horizon                                    54   (2)
          Jerron Wesley
        Children Come First                        56   (1)
          Michael Stovall
      Bonded                                       57   (22)
        Great Friend/Great Teacher                 57   (1)
          Keith W. Shelton
        A Letter to African-American Single        58   (2)
        Mothers
          Calvin Verrett Carter
        Strong Advice from a Friend                60   (2)
          John Chase Campbell
        My Brother's Keeper                        62   (1)
          Folarin Felix
        Reluctantly Coming Out                     62   (6)
          Erasto Jaih
        Parting                                    68   (2)
          Billy Mims-Goodman
        You Are Your Brother's As Well As Your     70   (2)
        Sister's Keeper
          Henry Batiste
        Everything Possible                        72   (3)
          Kevin McGruder
        Losing a Sister                            75   (1)
          Loren J. Blanchard
        Two Days Short of a Blue Moon              76   (2)
          Billy Mims-Goodman
        Reflecting on Friendship                   78   (1)
          John Chase Campbell
    Spirit: Within and Without                     79   (49)
      Held                                         82   (32)
        Wings                                      82   (1)
          Billy Mims-Goodman
        I Would Rather Die!                        83   (11)
          Rex L. Crawley
        Morally Confused                           94   (1)
          Hakim Idris Isler
        Not Being Heterosexual                     95   (1)
          Algernon J. Campbell
        Deviant Thoughts                           96   (1)
          Lawrence Wright
        Chicken                                    96   (1)
          Louis Porter II
        Letter to Santa                            97   (2)
          Corey Davis
        New Role Model                             99   (3)
          Nicolas Fernandez
        Secrets of the Blood                       102  (3)
          Buford McKinney
        Cast Out of the Center                     105  (4)
          Conrad Pegues
        It's Kinda Funny                           109  (1)
          Billy Mims-Goodman
        All for a Hit                              109  (1)
          Demetrius
        Why I Shouldn't Steal and Why I Should     110  (2)
        Always Obey the Law
          Robert Benjamin
        Existence Anxiety                          112  (1)
          John Chase Campbell
        Introspection                              113  (1)
          Loren J. Blanchard
      Beheld                                       114  (14)
        Refuge                                     114  (2)
          ``Louis''
        Soul-Bathed Joy                            116  (1)
          Loren J. Blanchard
        Xavier                                     117  (1)
          Lawrence Wright
        Saved from Drug Addiction                  118  (3)
          Daryl A. Smith, Sr.
        Reflections---Thirty-Fold: How Does It     121  (1)
        Feel to Be Loved
          So Many People?
          Loren J. Blanchard
        Analyzing My Spiritual Philosophy          122  (3)
          Kyshun Webster
        Is There a Natural Order to Love?          125  (1)
          Loren J. Blanchard
        Fatima: The God Within                     126  (2)
          Craig Muhammad
    Heart Matters                                  128  (54)
      Longing                                      130  (10)
        Beauty                                     130  (1)
          Johnny F. Ivory, Sr.
        I Remember                                 131  (2)
          Charles Baker
        Paradise                                   133  (4)
          Muti Ajamu-Osagboro
        The Loneliness of Love                     137  (2)
          Patrick Chapman
        My Love                                    139  (1)
          Pierre T. Love
      Learning                                     140  (14)
        Tom Thumb Wedding                          140  (1)
          John Chase Campbell
        The Homecoming                             141  (10)
          Reggie Gaines
        Love and Loss                              151  (3)
          Al Walker
      Losing                                       154  (23)
        The Pain of Love                           154  (4)
          Anonymous
        I Cannot Tell Her I Want to Go             158  (1)
          Denny Hunte
        The Decision                               159  (1)
          Denny Hunte
        Valentine's Day                            159  (2)
          John Chase Campbell
        In My Father's House                       161  (1)
          Dwayne Singletary
        Mama's Boy                                 162  (4)
          Gene Dollier
        Shades of Gray                             166  (2)
          Myles James
        Women of the Nineties                      168  (2)
          ``J.J.''
        Loving Again                               170  (2)
          Jaheem Al-Malik
        The Scenario                               172  (1)
          John Chase Campbell
        The Conflict                               173  (1)
          John Chase Campbell
        An Angel's Touch                           173  (4)
          Rodney E. Harris
      Lasting                                      177  (5)
        Buddy Love                                 177  (2)
          Anthony Watkins
        Dear Androgyny                             179  (1)
          G. Winston James
        Fighting for Our Family                    180  (2)
          Marvin Mayfield
    The Stature of Our Liberty                     182
      Oppression                                   185
        He Didn't Tell You                         185
          Larry Allen
        We Want to Live                            188
          Raphael Terry
        Endangered Species                         192
          Dana Lamar Isom
      Depression                                   194
        Rock Bottom                                194
          Demetrius Rhinehart
        Hoop Nightmares                            200
          Frederick J. Goodall
        1914---The Day After: Is It Worth It?      202
          Craig Muhammad
      Confession                                   205
        The Balcony                                205
          Timothy Tyrone Taylor
        No Sellouts                                209
          John Chase Campbell
        Racism                                     212
          Garrard McClendon
        Women Drive Society                        215
          Garrard McClendon
        Open Your Eyes                             217
          Rommie A. Winborn
        Million Man March                          218
          Don McCord
        I Hugged a Drug Dealer Today               220
          Don Harris
      Rejection                                    224
        The Only Brother                           224
          Garrard McClendon
        The Bench                                  227
          Alex Thompson
        The Subway Ride                            229
          Denny Hunte
      Expression                                   233
        Making a Difference                        233
          Marc A. Medley
        Janitor Genius                             234
          John Chase Campbell
        Crossing the White Lines: Tribute to       235
        Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
          Keith W. Shelton