Embers of a Greater Fire is Robert Hanington's first published work. He has been writing years since the age of eleven. He is currently a middle school teacher as well as a college professor living in New York. At the present time he is working on a personal memoir and a Science Fiction novel titled "Crystal Shards of Darkness"; a futuristic novel about the end of humanity. Aside from poetry he likes to spend his time playing with his young son and competing in weightlifting competitions. Robert's life long love of literature and his difficult childhood have encouraged him to tunnel his experiences into his poetry. This poetry collection is really a labor of love for me. Most of the individual works have a specific meaning from moments in my life when I witnessed the worst side of human nature. Acts of betrayal, abuse and self-loathing are evident in many of the works. While most are of the negative sides of human nature I believe they are a vitally important insight into the human spirit. For a young child (starting at age seven for me) to witness the worst of human nature and still turn out to be a productive member of society shows the strength of the human spirit. I look at all of these works as the building blocks of my personality. I would not be able to appreciate my life as much and not be able to fight for what I want without knowing exactly how lucky I am to be alive.