PLEASE: A Chapbook and Video

Abstract

PLEASE is a poetry chapbook and video which make use of rhythm, rhyme, and musicality to explore recurring themes and motifs in the life of the narrator; a modern twenty-four-year-old in the midst of a quarter-life crisis. The narrator finds himself fragmented between his struggles with mental health issues like OCD, substance abuse, self-doubt, and existential dread, while simultaneously finding moments in which he is able to affirm his self-worth. His propensity for avoidance and distraction is equally rivaled by an inescapable sense of clarity regarding his situation and mental state. The video accompaniment sees the author, Lee, performing each poem in various locations, with varying aesthetic choices.