Hi, I’m Alyssa. I’m excited to be able to present my work to you! I love nature, and I hope this piece is able to transport you all to the countryside with me.
Compassionate
Epileptic Born
Have you ever known someone with epilepsy? Or ever wondered what happens when someone is having a seizure? Well let my words of my health introduce you to the world of being a victim of epilepsy.
Again
I wrote this piece on 2020: the events that occurred then, and how it might affect people in the future. I encourage everyone to look forward—be strong, be brave, and stay safe.
Both Sides of the Moon
This pair of cento poems was crafted out of song lyrics, news articles and poetry, reflecting the moods of dark and light. Which one is sinister and which one is hopeful? Or maybe each has a little bit of dark and light…
Martha ‘Marty’ Farias
2020 f*cked with us all, and no words can describe the pain and trauma people all over the world went through. This is a tribute to the people we lost, to the pain.
Bee
On a warm spring’s day, I walked down the street and I saw a bee. I wondered what other functions it had besides pollinating.
Leather in Heaven
This piece challenges the gender stereotypes surrounding masculinity through two father-son relationships. The narrator’s father associates masculinity with anger, but the cowboy father teaches his son that true strength comes from being kind to others.
Me In The Eyes of 2020
Two perspectives on 2020, a year of change, growth, tragedy, and conflict.
We are Girls from the East
The poem speaks to our shared history as Asian-American women, emphasizing a colonial past in China and India, our liberation, and the formation of new rituals between generations all through the lens of tea.
Finding Home
I started this piece after I went to the doctor’s office for the first time during COVID. I realized this would be the last time I would be in this small office because I’m turning 18 and next year I may be far from home because of college. It reminded me that I might not always have my mom by my side in places where you have to make important decisions or hear sensitive information. The possibility of being away from home for the first time made me wonder how my connection to myself and my family would change. This piece is about the worries of growing up, the changing bonds of family, and finding home when everything seems to be moving under your feet.
Love Letters to the Seasons From a Statue and a Student
As the title says, “Love Letters to the Seasons From a Statue and a Student” is an ode to the elements from two very different pairs of eyes.
City Girl
This piece talks about my relationships with nature and my parents in order to explore my feelings toward living in New York City.
King of Kings
Who decides what a text means? And how much can be lost in translation?
Deadly Militia
A short story that portrays the life of a young child soldier during the Congo War.
Stages of Isolation
This co-written poem reflects our journaled memories of the year 2020, as well as our conversations with each other about our lives in lockdown.