Cowlicks (BA Capstone)

For my capstone project, I wanted to create a book of my collective poetry from the past few years, centering around themes of gender identity, love, dating, family, and the presence of past trauma in present relationships. The titular poem, “Cowlicks”, ties these themes together, exploring my shaved head as a gendered connection to my brothers, a site of intimacy, and a formative part of shaping my queer identity. The title comes in part from Cowlick Brooklyn, a queer-owned and centered barbershop in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where I get my hair cut.