"Through the gift of writing, I have learned to express my thoughts and ideals in a manner of being best understood. I have tried hard not to allow negative thoughts or crazy ideals to interfere with anything meaningful and productive in my life." Says author Alim M. Bey, "Do not allow yourself to come up short. Each of us has been given a gift at birth, and from that gift, we must learn to be positive, and wherever our aspirations fall, it should be our best."

Part of a poem in Poetry at Its Ripest:

Do you have a friend?

Do you have a...