Point of View

This poem is told through a close, intimate first-person point of view using the pronoun “I”. However, this pronoun doesn’t appear until the second stanza: “I've walked there picking mushrooms at the edge of dread” (Line 5). From this point forward, the speaker comes to the forefront, sharing their experiences and beliefs. In the third stanza, the speaker begins directly addressing the reader: “I won't tell you where the place is” (Line 9), engaging the reader in conversation. By the end of the poem, the speaker’s approach has moved from one of introspection to that of a call to action.

Language and Meaning

The language in this poem is conversational and straightforward, yet layered with symbolic meaning. In the first stanza, the speaker describes a place that could be physical, metaphorical, or something in between; the word “persecuted” (Line 3) likely refers to minority identities and...