Homecoming.

The poems featured in Homecoming are narrative, and are written in free verse, prose and lyrical form. This anthology of poems was inspired by Sandra Cisneros's House on Mango Street, Sonya Sones, and Ted Kooser. The objective of this project is to introduce readers to a town with a distinct landscape. The descriptive language and voice explore nature and its effect on a young girl as she relates to situations with family, society, nature and other elements. It was also important to communicate a universal theme of nature personified, providing a safe haven for any one, for any reason. A major conceptual challenge was to let the poems come together in a way that is not forced by preconceived notions of what I think should be the focus or core. Some of the poems were written a few years ago, and after many revisions, it was satisfying to find the heart of the poem after stripping away the excess. Strategies employed: I re-arranged my office to be more conducive to creative thoughts. Much research was conducted on technical/or non-technical names of plants, insects, locations, and other things, as authenticity was very important and key to the process. The significance of the poems in Homecoming relates to familial dysfunction caused by mental illness. It is important to note dark, relational predicaments is not the only motif employed to communicate and create thoughts and ideas. When combined with nature; orange native stones, wild goldenrods growing in tractor wheels; hedgerows of Bois d'arcs, knee deep in blackberries, there is always hope tucked inside giving the audience a sense of optimism. The contribution to the field is that within the thought provoking themes of home, there is a dual purpose; readers will look at mental illness in a different light. Poetry is one of the greatest communicators to make that happen