Mindgarden Volume I is a reflection of life's ultimate journeys: some loving, some tragic, others breathtakingly prophetic. Poet Paul Galloway illustrates how the fragile human spirit can follow the wrong path in spite of the warnings. Yet, with inner strength and hope, fortitude beats adversity, and this collection is a testament to that victory. Galloway does not shy away from acknowledging his failings as a young man in this first volume of poetry. The troubled soul of the poet writes early in this collection, "Sorrows and sins complete your deedless days." However, Galloway gains wisdom and comes to understand "how the mind gardens itself upon us." The poet's path to enlightenment embodies both free verse and rhyme, delving into raw emotions and, in turn, making life's journey worth traveling. Galloway guides you along the road through valleys and mountains, but eventually arrives at a comfortable place where he writes, "rest newcomers, the old has failed." Throughout Mindgarden Volume I, the poet holds a mirror to himself while quietly, albeit lyrically, ushering you with each turning page to forgiveness and love.