With each new love interest,

you put checks in boxes,

hoping that he will embody

all those non-negotiables on your list.

Because you know that the man who checks all those boxes will be...

perfect.

But the man standing before you at this moment...

he's not.

So, what now?

Do you accept him as he is, or continue the search for "Mr. Perfect"?

Do you try to change him? The list? Yourself?

Or will you question it all, knowing that the answers you find could burn everything you know to ashes?

The Necessity of Ashes is a poetic journey that serves as a memoir on love. This story explores how life experiences and idealistic expectations can influence, for better or worse, our ever-evolving perceptions of love and our sense of self.

Inspired by the author's own experiences, the poems chronicle the thoughts, feelings, and circumstances of a young woman searching for her ideal romantic partner. As she experiences the joy and pain that come with these encounters, she realizes that ultimately, she will have to decide...

... what's worth keeping...

... what's worth questioning...

... and what needs to be burned.