Description
When studying at Virginia Tech, I was getting more and more tired of the semesters where my classes were strictly computer science or mathematics-focused. I had felt deprived of a creative outlet, especially considering that there was hardly any time for myself between working jobs, helping manage a school club, and taking those intense classes. I was reminiscing on the 6 years of theatre I did between middle and high school, and found myself in great need of a place I could exercise my storytelling. So, one semester I let myself take a creative writing class, and enjoyed it so much that I decided to dedicate a page to it on my portfolio! These are just my two favorite works from the class, but their tone and style are present in all other works.
Heartstrings
This was a poem that was meant to show the pain of loss and the unhealthy obsession that comes with it. In this, the puppet refers to his former lover as his old strings, yearning for that control again. He doesn’t care for himself, he doesn’t care for his freedom, he only cares for the strings that have hurt him so. What I’m most proud of for this work is the sheer amount of symbolism and different interpretations the reader can have. Was the lover actually in the right for leaving? Was the puppet really the hero? Is there even a lover, or is it just his own self-image he cannot please? It has many different readings, and I’m very pleased with it.
Silk Magnolias
Another poem, though far less dramatic than the last. This was inspired by my (as of 2025) six-year-old sister, whom I’ve watched grow up since I was sixteen. There’s something very strange about seeing something so fragile that will likely outlive you, about seeing something that doesn’t know itself the same way that you do. While I’m no father, I feel like her existence has given me a fraction of a glimpse into what that life would look like. The older I get, the more I envy the way that children see the world, naive yet truly magnificent in its own right. This poem is meant to show that.