My first pieces of truly public art was a book of poetry about a brief love I held for a man back when I was too young to know better then to let myself fall so completely.

In those early 20s years I was always searching for a "great love" to make happen by my late 20s.

Of course, I pushed too fast, shared too much too soon, made all of the mistakes like getting drunk and and crying that you like them. Totally ruining their Aries chill.

What I find most curious is how often cute meets end like above but art so hard to shake. Meanwhile I've totally broken up with people I truly loved amicably without needing to write a book of poetry. But it was  difficult to let go of this one.

So I wrote it out of me.

I shared every detail until I felt no more. It is sappy and I'm not entirely sure I'd even recommend it to anyone over the age of 15 years old — around the age I wish I had a book like this — of poetry written from the gay male perspective — when I had no one gay around and harbored far too many feelings. This connection prompted me to dig for contacts and pitch the book to as many publishers, magazines, blogs, etc. that were willing to listen.

In completing the book I drew an illustration for every poem.

As sill as it might be to laugh at our young selves, this was enough of a success to surprise me: selling a few hundred copies. And to this day I've been sure to get at least one, usually two, online purchases a year.