Song candy
In the poem "Apology for Apostasy" the poet contemplates how his song cannot be candy, because of the despair and anger that has fallen upon the world. He talks how the night is full of bastards, and there is no moon or stars to light the sky, so his candy is deferred.
Freckle-Faced Gerald
In the poem of the same name, the poet calls a young black boy that was raped in prison freckle faced to indicate his youth, innocence and naivety. He was freckle-faced because he was unaware of the cruelty that the world has in store for a boy like him.
Seeing through stone
In his poem "He Sees Through Stone" the poet describes an old black prisoner and talks about the years of experience that resulted in the wisdom of his secret eyes. Seeing through stone means that nothing is hidden from him, he can see through the lies and pretense.
A wasp woman
A wasp woman is a symbolic name for a white woman of a higher social standing. The poet uses the figure of a wasp woman in one of his poems to make a stark contrast between two people who despite the differences found commonalities, which further on works on the theme of understanding and togetherness of people.
