A book, not with standing the plot or content, must carry the soul of the writer, his sensibility, and above all, his honesty. Whatever may be its verbs and its vowels, or its rhyme scheme, it must always carry the authenticity of the poet. This is the source and the impulse of this literary creation. You and I Midst Poems and Verses could seem to be another book of poetic lines and stanzas, of thoughts written for love or loss of love, but in mine, I wanted love to refer to the same-sex in other words, from one man to another man, from one woman to another woman.
I do not wish that this book sound or feel academically pretentious, but instead hope that my reader identify his or herself simply with my crazy demonstration of passion to a friend, to my sisters, to my conquests, to the simple sentiment called love by way of this simple and humble book. I aspire to open up the taboo of love geared to one person of the same sex; it will now no longer be prohibited.

These verses and thoughts were profoundly inspired by pain, be it for the loss of a mother, from the writings that I have read since I was a child, or from being in a seminary and wanting to be a priest through notes of love written form my religious brothers, by the apostles, holy ones and aristocrats.

 Opening Celebration  for Raymondo’s book: You And I Midst Poem and Verses

at Hurley’s 232 West 48th. NYC

Date: 05/03/2009 Time: 7-9 PM