Serg Rodriguez hasn’t seen his family in years. He was excommunicated by their church and grew apart from his parents and siblings. But now as a writer in Nashville, his little sister is never far from his mind. Without warning, she troubles his thoughts and finds here way into everything he puts on paper. In this episode, we find out how family rejection has actually helped Serg to better understand unconditional love. And then Nashville poet Ciona Rouse turns Serg’s story into an original poem.

Credits: Editing and production by Tony Gonzalez, hosting and editing by Joshua Moore.

Additional editing assistance: Emily Siner, Blake Farmer, Anita Bugg, Susannah Felts, Katie McDougall, & J. Joseph Kane.

The show is mastered by Carl Pedersen.

The music is by The Ampersand Posture, with additional tracks by Coolzey, and DarkSunn.

Versify is a production of Nashville Public Radio and PRX. Stories and poems are gathered with the help of The Porch, Nashville's nonprofit literary center.