Church is no place for children: A chapbook

This collection of poetry was written throughout my time as an undergraduate with different pieces selected from all eight semesters of this generative yet tumultuous period of life. As a result, I hope the collection represents the magnitude of personal development I have experienced over the last few years, and reflects how the process of constructing the self often revolves around the deconstruction of identities and ideals forced on us in childhood. For me, my value had always been confirmed by satisfying the moral high ground I thought I possessed as a Christian and by fulfilling my duties as the perfect daughter (aka the perfect woman in training). Then, I stopped believing in God. My moral high ground slipped out from under my feet and suddenly there was no rubric through which I could judge myself or cement my value, not as a woman or daughter, not even as an individual. Faced with this crisis of self, all on my own, I am thankful I once again turned to poetry for meaning and clarity, for purpose and amnesty through the grief I felt, not just for the loss of my eternal life, but for the life I had lived up to the point of disbelief.