Violet is a collection of poetry focused on the different kinds of love. What were some important ideas for you to share in this book?

The concept I drew up in 2017 was the book’s title had to be “Violet,” Since violet and purple are interchangeable, the book itself would represent creativity and maintain an aura of calmness and upliftment since love goes both ways. Within each title, I wanted a slash of red or blue striking through. The reasoning: red represents romance, love, passion, etc. So any poem that encapsulates those themes, red will go through it. Blue (my favorite color) represents calm, serenity, sincerity, sadness, melancholy, love as well, etc. Blue slash. Both combined, purple slash.

Overall blue represents me (calm stability), and red represents the love I have and hold (fierce energy). It’s fierce because I‘m “too passionate.” Hence, it creates violet/purple; the feelings and care I give and hope to get in return, and the magic that occurs, which lies within the poems, and speaks for itself, which is in the book, and what it’s about, but not limited to.

I had the concept early on, but I wouldn’t say I had specific ideas on what I wanted to share; all I knew was I wanted to create a book that was purely love poems. The only thing I focused on was ensuring the lyrics were relatable, authentic, compelling, and heartfelt. The way I carried out that task was by writing my emotions without reserve.

I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story about loving. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?

Looking back, the poems I have trouble reading at times are “PAIN.” and “PAIN II.” I wrote those in real-time, which is why it’s structured, and reads like a journal entry with the date and time stamp implemented. They take me back to when that heartbreak happened, and since I’m a sensitive being, it’s like entering a time machine, and the emotions felt give the illusion that I’m back in that moment, so I’ll skip those. I read them on rare occasions, but not as much.

“am I?” is possibly another because my insecurities are displayed. Overall, when writing about unrequited love, it’s always hard. It can be uncomfortable because, logically, if someone doesn’t reciprocate your feelings, you move on. Still, emotionally, when there’s an investment, it’s easier said than done so not knowing how it’ll be perceived and accepted will always be just as hard.

What is a common misconception you feel people have about love?

I love that question. This common misconception is what I had at 15, and I’m not sure when, but as I matured, it became a slow realization that my perception of love was wrong. My poem “808s & Heartache” highlights this perfectly. I called Love a disease, blamed it for unrequited connections, causing pain, saying it’s not beautiful, and sulking at the irony of me falling in love but love not choosing me, and I ended with, “I hate Love.” And we’ve heard love hurts, love is dangerous, love sucks, and love is the most violent act.

All those statements are misconceptions because love is pure, and like one of my favorite biblical scriptures, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, love is patient, love is kind. As humans, being complex, prideful, self-serving, and stubborn individuals make love more difficult than it should be. Love didn’t hurt me. Love didn’t cause the heartbreak I thought I would never get over; it was the person that didn’t know how to love me that hurt me and broke my heart. I confused the two.

In any friendship and relationship, love appears fresh and beautiful initially, but with our ability to taint things, taking advantage and taking for granted, not realizing what we have when we have it, love quickly rears its ugly head. It’s not to say there won’t be heartache in love, but it’s not love’s fault. So with that way of thinking, we close ourselves to potential new, healthier love experiences. I had to condition myself to learn and apply that recently, which shows itself in my later poems.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

Currently, I’m not working on any books, and I’m not sure whether I will. This poetry book was a coming full circle experience for five years, so publishing was inevitable, but I never thought I would publish multiple. Things do change, so I can’t speak with certainty, but I know for sure with one completed screenplay I have, I’ll be working on more of those in the future, however authoring books I can’t say the same.

Author Links: Instagram | Amazon