Beauty and poetry are meaningless without discomfort.

This quote from my poem, which the title of my book takes its name from, best summarizes my book as a whole. You can't experience the heights of love without also experiencing the debts of pain. This is the meaning of life. Reflection on the Universe first starts with relections on one's self. What is our purpose in life? The poems and short stories written within contemplate such themes. They're meant to make you think, and especially, to feel.

As the Stranger themselves might say:

Some people were born to succeed, Some to inspire, Some to create, Some to lead. I was born to suffer and you cannot convince me otherwise.