Abstract
“The Holy Unchosen” examines the ongoing, tumultuous relationship the speaker has with the Christian God in the face of issues related to mental health and personhood. The poems deal with the larger theme of finding and losing faith by exploring the many emotional facets of life—hurt, regret, love, and tenderness. As the work progresses, the desire to find and rely on a higher power is replaced with the realization of self as a higher power, with the poems ultimately exploring what it means to find an earthly good way to be.