embers of eden

in her first poetry collection, hayes authentically grapples with, as well as works through, some of her romantic experiences. moreover, she believes the universal subject of love, a la its various connotations -- among these, idealism, hurt, confusion, and ultimately hope -- is the overarching focus of this poetry collection. after the publication of her second poetry collection, titled 'gratitude,' she decided to revisit the more difficult aspects of her past romantic experiences, with the primary intention of bringing closure and healing to places that were before haunted by much confusion and pain. hayes re-worked much of the original 'embers of eden,' with this updated text, as the result. in sum: it is the author's belief that nothing is ever wasted; further, that there is redemption to be found everywhere -- even to the east of eden.