Writer's Statement:

This poem is about the author’s experience as an international student in Canada. It analyzes and describes the reasons behind the isolation and aloneness she felt as a foreigner. The piece challenges its audience to open their mentality to a different perspective and alternate versions of reality. The poem also briefly describes the kind of background and culture the author comes from using juxtaposition. Phrases like “the fortitude of our broken ship” and “the bliss of our dark humor” depict the nature of her origin and its complexity. Finally, she seems to demand respect or attention to the relevance of her country’s history as the land of origins. The author is proud of her Ethiopian heritage, history, and culture. This poem is her attempt to find belongingness in her new dwelling by bringing a token of her identity from her roots.

About the Writer:

Tsigereda Eshete is a Ph.D. student in Wind Engineering at Western, who enjoys reading and writing poetry. She self-published an anthology titled "The Unspoken Outlook" in 2015, during her undergraduate study in Ethiopia.