The ultimate subject of Maya C. Popa's stunning debut collection is
violence. American Faith begins with its manifestation in our country:
a destructive administration, a history of cruelty and extermination,
and a love of firearms. The violence naturally extends to the personal.
What for some is routine can feel like an assault: a TSA agent wipes
down a bra tucked in a traveler's suitcase, adding, "...prettiest
terrorist I've seen all day." Tentatively, the title poem casts light on
the unrevealed future, a solution that includes faith: "...the days,
impatient, fresh beasts, appeal to me--/ You are here. You must believe
in something."