Rainfall throughout history has represented both rebirth and cleansing through the cyclical processes to create the best form of a being. The idea of how rain comes and goes is the root of this work. In life, there are critical teaching points that etch out who the person truly is or becomes. I have intentionally embraced the challenges of speaking on topics facing people of color that are often hidden and not expressed by cis heterosexual Black males.

"After the Rain Falls," chronicles the issues of my life and community from: depression, suicide, marriage, divorce, being a black educator, love, redemption, fatherhood, overcoming phobias and a plethora of barbershop talk issues through a combination of original poems and essays to spark dialogue for the revitalization and education of our

communities.