Michael Alicea began writing poetry during his freshman year of high school, while living in Okinawa, Japan. During those awkward years when boys start to notice girls and vice-versa, Michael was a very shy person, but found his voice and artistry in writing.He was heavily influenced by the music he listened to during the late seventies and early eighties, particularly groups like Earth, Wind, & Fire, The Commodores, L.T.D, and soloists like Stevie Wonder, Donna Summer and Al Green who had lyrics full of the ups and downs about being in love. These artists and others like them helped shape Michael's ideas of romance and love. From this beginning, he started putting pen to paper to chronicle his own journey into finding love.His first book, Did I miss the part when you said goodbye? is a self-published collection of poems, prose and Haiku. This intimate and engaging book is, at times, a diary, following his personal experiences in the search for love. The book explores and reveals the discovery of that special someone and the joy love brings. The content exposes the hurt and pain of losing love, and the hope of regaining love. Some poems are very personal, calling out very specific events in his life, while others are inspired from his observations of life, music, movies, current pop culture, and sometimes suggestions from friends. After years of sharing his poetry with only his friends and family, Michael decided to take their encouragement to heart and share his poetry with the world.Did I miss the part when you said goodbye? is a collection of romantic, heartfelt poems and prose, showing one man's journey in his search for love. From the moment of meeting that special someone, to the blissful period of togetherness, and even down to when lovers have parted ways, this collection of poems hides only the voice of the object of his affections. Opening his heart and soul over and over again, he seems fearless when calling out his love as in the poem, 'Have you seen into my heart?', and still shows he is completely vulnerable when he realizes 'I'm not Superman after all'. The book reveals a rollercoaster of emotions that takes the reader from warm, loving moments to painful heartbreak.Read more about this authorRead less about this author