When prompted to complete the task of writing our own collection of documentary poetry that reflects a political or social issue, I was floored. My initial thought was: How can I possibly come up with an original collection of poetry? I looked to Monica Ong’s Silent Anatomies, my literary muse for the semester, for guidance. I felt inspired by the intimacy of Silent Anatomies and decided to openly discuss the difficulties of immigration by telling my father’s story. Writing poetry was a struggle, but with scrap paper and my father’s stories in my pocket at all times, I made it.
HALLIE LAZARO is a rising sophomore at Boston University’s College of Arts and Sciences. She is majoring in Neuroscience and is on the pre-medical track. She was born in Manahawkin, New Jersey, a small drive-by town. Hallie has a love-hate relationship with writing but has come to admire the intimacy poems have to offer. A hobby of hers is collecting antiques and her dream is to become a doctor. She would like to thank Professor Jessica Bozek for her infinite patience, encouragement, and critique.