Abstract:
This thesis is a selection of poems written during my time in the MFA program. These
poems loosely fit the theme of “identity foreign-ness.” That is, how we perceive
ourselves vs. the way others perceive/describe us (to the point of paranoia, in my
experience); the expectations parents have of us/children vs. the reality of our wills; our
subconscious vs. conscious decisions to like/dislike something (tastes, hatred, fear); the
way we relate (or fail to relate) to others; and the self-awareness and protection of our
bodies vs. souls.
