Supply and Demand

Abstract

Part 5 includes 23 poems. Some of the poems--for example, “Water and Sand,” “Faith,” and “Alchemy”--employ rapid scene cuts and flash images. The poem, “Hair,” delves deep into Black hair superstitions, wryly but without judgement. His own epic poem, “The Slave Trade: View from the Middle Passage” shows that art can be both political and didactic. The rest of the poems in this section deal with diverse themes and topics including work, grief, weakness, justice, faith, and place.