Summary

In “Winter Elegy,” the speaker watches faces on the television screens at “the edge-city mall” (85). While listening to “the president’s frail voice fading on the radio,” he realizes “the point is to endure” (85). Despite how much progress has been made, the speaker sometimes fears revealing his sexual orientation.

In “Recuerdas,” after the bombings and killings, the speaker attends a “rally in the square” (87). The police have shot yet another Black man (87). The speaker is tried of being quiet and submitting. He is desperate for truth.

In “‘The Soul Is Always Beautiful,’” at night, the speaker reflects on beauty and danger. When with his lover, he sees his “soul rising into air without / fear” (90).

In “‘Post-Black,’” the speaker reflects on Black art throughout history. He believes that “shaping, new forms” might allow one to...