To all the "diamonds in the rough" in this world, I dedicate this book. Shine on and sparkle in your own unique way. Don't run with the crowd or feel the need to "blend." Just be you! It's not always the ones with the glam and glitter who try to outshine everyone else but the silent, the subdued, the peaceful ones comfortable in their own skin who are the true diamonds in the rough. My first poem, "Diamonds in the Rough," is all about finding out your true grit. To quote a few lines from my poem, "You're the gems that don't glitter, / you're the gems that don't shine. / One day you'll be discovered hidden in the mine."