The poems in The Split Pomegranate were penned out of need for balance. While deeply personal, they resonate with the universal human experience. Each is its own entity with no predetermined destination or purpose. One by one they reveal the wild jungles and curated gardens of the poet's mind, which lead her to explore and embrace the natural habitat of her soul. She offers readers raw truths learned on this journey in mediums of free verse, structured forms-such as anagrams and ekphrasis-journal entries, black out poems, and her own creative expressions called notepad confessionals and ransom poetry. This collection, separated in four parts, exposes the struggle of an Armenian American woman overcoming relatable obstacles. It also erects bridges between the fractures of her heritage; nourished yet isolated childhood; the destruction and joys of love; undiagnosed bipolar disorder; and finally, affirmations born of recovery. The Split Pomegranate is an act of rebellion against societal doubt, as both a source of pain and self awareness. It absorbs stigma and honors flaws in a resplendent display, like bursts of bright blood-red blossoms sprouting from gnarled branches. These pages bear bittersweet gems in a body of leather and luster intending to be peeled.