Document Type
Student Paper
Publication Date
Spring 2021
Disciplines
Creative Writing | Mental and Social Health | Poetry
Description, Abstract, or Artist's Statement
This poem was written as a direct response to the 22nd Vasquez Valarezo Award theme of "Discontentment." Breaking the noun "Discontentment" into its components parts allowed me to explore of the emotions and mental health states experienced by myself and my community during the "COVID summer" of 2020. Each of the poem's stanzas encourages readers to contemplate different emotional stages and the various coping mechanisms they may demand in order to regain a sense of control and stability. The poem also alludes to the value of a strong community during times of crisis, in particular the international student community of Augustana College.
Augustana Digital Commons Citation
Ranaraja, Lalini Shanela. "Freefall In Reverse" (2021). Vázquez-Valarezo Poetry Award.
https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/vazquezvalarezo/15
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Comments
3rd Place Winner, 2021