Locomotion

Initially, Lonnie seems withdrawn and doesn’t reveal much about himself to others. When discussing the tragic events they’ve witnessed, his friends share a litany of trauma they’ve observed, but Lonnie remarks only that he has “never seen nothing” (27), which isn’t true. Choosing to keep his memory of the fire to himself, Lonnie closes himself off to those around him. Furthermore, in “Failing,” although he writes about not doing well in Math class, he shares a reason for his reluctance around others: “I don’t believe the things people say is / always the truth” (28). Lonnie’s distrust of others, specifically his disbelief in their words, means that he struggles with not only the academic subject of math but also his relationships. All of this contributes to the theme of The Search for Identity and Belonging: Because Lonnie fails to open up about himself, he can’t find his place. Observing Clyde, the new student, with his younger sister at recess highlights his struggles. He notes:

Watching

them I feel something in the back of my throat

close up and choke at me. Then slide on

down to my stomach and make itself some tears (41).

The tears indicate his connection with the duo because he sees himself and his sister but because he’s separated from Lili, he can’t put his arm around her at recess. Although he sees a kindred spirit in Clyde, Lonnie still feels lost because he lacks the one thing the new boy has: his sister by his side.

In addition, this group of poems develops the characterization of Miss Edna to show that she’s more complex than the overbearing foster mother presented in the opening verses: She’s also compassionate and loving. On the anniversary of the fire, the woman cares for Lonnie and prays on his behalf: “It’s been four years, Miss Edna says to the Lord / How long will he carry this burden?” (31). Unlike a caretaker who views Lonnie as a responsibility, she wants what’s best for the boy, and her prayer hints at her love for him. Miss Edna also looks out for Lonnie when he visits Lili because her adoptive mother doesn’t approve of him. In preparation, Miss Edna sends Lonnie to get his hair braided and insists that he remove his earrings and wear a suit jacket. This shift in the presentation of Miss Edna as a more complex and caring person indicates that Lonnie’s thinking has evolved: He focuses less on himself and notices others more. In fact, when he faces the idea of never living with Lili again, he “can’t imagine living anyplace else but in Miss Edna’s house” (47), and begins to view her apartment as “home.” Lonnie now sees his life with Miss Edna not as a temporary but as a permanent home, since it provides the love and comfort he so desperately needs.

Two ways that Lonnie copes during the grieving process are through memory and through writing, thus fueling the themes of The Enduring Support of Family and The Healing Power of Writing. After feeling ill on the four-year anniversary of the fire, Lonnie reminds himself: “There used be to four of us / Mama, Daddy, Lili and me. At night we went to sleep. / In the morning we woke up and ate breakfast” (32). Although this seems like Lonnie is dwelling on his loss, he’s also fondly remembering the strength of the family when it was together. This recollection of eating meals together and sleeping under the same roof is enough to sustain Lonnie through the difficulty of the anniversary. In fact, in the next poem he wears items from his parents: his father’s watch and his mother’s cross necklace. These items keep their memory alive and give him the strength to get through another day. In addition, poetry helps him keep the memories close:

Writing makes me remember.

It’s like my whole family comes back again

when I write. All of them right

here like somebody pushed the Rewind button (42).

When Lonnie writes of his family, he feels their presence again. He compares this to pressing “rewind,” implying that he feels like he did before the fire and Lili’s adoption. Crafting poetry gives him the support he needs to carry on without them.