Similes
"Writing...is like my whole family comes back again"
Poetry helps Lonnie feel connected to his deceased parents.
"I am a leaf, turning brown, and falling from a tree."
Feeling helpless, dying inside, or disconnected from his roots.
"The sky is crying."
The external world reflecting Lonnie's internal sadness.
"I see black windows. I smell smoke."
The haunting sensory trauma of the night of hte fires?
The Roof
A place of escape and peace where Lonnie feels closer to God/Heaven.
Lonnie's nickname and the "click-clack" sound of hte train.
Resilience or Keep Moving Forward.
"The memory of them/is like a song I can't stop humming."
His grief is a constant, lingering part of his daily life.
"The monsters....come looking like regular boys."
The cruel bullies at the group home who hide their mean nature.
"The rain is tapping....like it's trying to get in."
Feeling Vulnerable or like sadness is intruding on his space
"Lili in a pink dress with her hair in ribbons."
Lili is being physically changed by her new foster mother.
Honeysuckle Talc Powder
Mama and home, represents comfort and safety before the fire
The "honeysuckle talc powder" and the "song I can't stop humming."
The Power of Memory
"Mama used to smell like [honeysuckle talc powder]."
A specific sensory memory representing comfort and home.
"My name is a song."
His name has a rhythm and history tied to his mother's love.
"That stupid fire couldn't take all of them."
Lonnie blames the fire as if it were a thief.
"The group home book is beat-up
The worn-out, unloved nature of things in foster care.
"Click-clack"
The sound of the train that symbolizes moving forward in life.
Lonnie and Lili living in different homes with different rules.
The Fragility of Family.
"The guard starts following me around like I'm gonna steal."
Lonnie feels judged or stereotyped by the outside world.
"The fire was a giant, swallowing everything.
The fire felt like an all consuming, unstoppable monster.
"The city hums a low song at night."
The urban environment having its own living, breathing rhythm?
"Six needles in my mouth."
The sharp, stinging sensation of physical or emotional pain.
The Bible
The new barrier/difference between Lonnie and his sister Lili.
Ms. Marcus telling Lonnie to "put it on the page" to let his works breathe.
Finding One's Voice through Art/Poetry.
"All of them right here - like somebody pushed the Rewind button."
Poetry allows him to mentally travel back to life before the fire?
"Lili is a million miles away."
The emotional and legal distance caused by the foster system.
"The Bible on the table is watching me."
Feeling the pressure of Lili's faith or moral expectations.
"The afternoon sun? orange and hot/ through the window."
A rare moment of warmth and clarity in Lonnie's room.
The nickname "Locomotion"
The idea of keep moving forward despite the tragedy.
Lonnie comparing himself to a "leaf falling" but eventually finding the "roof."
Hope and Healing