Words have been used to start wars, end them.

Used carelessly, words can break hearts, shed tears, and destroy families, friendships, lives.

Words are powerful!

But words can initiate change and birth new feelings of hope and positivity, happiness.

Poetry is an art that allows the mind to wander, the heart to jump, and the soul to dance.

In a collection of original poems and accompanying photographs, Dr. Rob Rafeek Henry offers lyrical insight into his time spent in the suburbs of Chicago as he experienced a variety of deep, intangible feelings that were constantly expressed and witnessed by not just himself, but also those who surrounded him. Shared with the intent of allowing others to feel connected in a divided world and provide a space for self-reflection, Henry's poems gently remind us that love, pain, and joy is witnessed by every living being and that we are never alone.

Birthmarks and Bruises is a volume of poems and photographs that invites others to reflect on their own hearts, minds, and souls while navigating through the challenges of life.