Summary

There is an opening quote by the narrator of the novel, Lonnie C. Motion. The quote urges the reader to make a list of the people “you're always thinking about” (Location 78), because “People are poems.”

The first poem is titled “Poem Book.” Lonnie writes that he plans to make this entire book poetry because he wants to tell his story. He has tried to tell it before, but Miss Edna (Lonnie's foster mother), tells him to “be quiet” (1). Lonnie says he never thought he was especially noisy, but that it may be because he is 11. Lonnie compares his ideas to a candle with Miss Edna's voice constantly blowing out the flame. When that happens, his ideas become a “tiny string of smoke” (1) that disappears before he can capture them. His teacher, Ms. Marcus, says he should write his ideas down quickly and worry...