What's Yours? What's Mine?

This collection of poems explores identity by examining family, love, isolation, and humor. Each of its four sections gives insight into how its particular theme influences who we become as individuals. It begins with family and the struggles related to family values versus personal beliefs. I include poems that speak to my cultural upbringing and direct conflicts between my beliefs and my family'. The second celebrates the coexistence of individuality and togetherness in a relationship. These poems celebrate love while simultaneously attending to the speaker's position as half of the relationship. Section three uses isolated speakers to evoke emotional responses and illustrate conditions he feels and sees as a direct result of his isolation. Only by being isolated can the speaker clearly see what he sees or recognize the depth of his feelings. The final section uses humor to draw attention to perspective and how it can influence opinion. These poems use persona to provide a new perspective and reenergize the reader's attention to their own biases.