dear air where you used to be, dear empty Chucks | by front door, dear whatever you are now, dear son
-- Mother of the “summer, somewhere” speaker (“summer, somewhere”)

Importance: These lines, presented in italics, are an example of the call-and-response format in “summer, somewhere,” as well as an important early entry in the names motif. In “summer, somewhere,” people who have known the speaker call out to him, and he responds from the afterlife. In this passage, his mother recalls his youthful innocence, replacing his name repeatedly with images of his identity, personality, and relationships.

someone prayed we’d rest in peace | & here we are | in peace whole all summer
-- Speaker of “summer, somewhere” (“summer, somewhere”)

Importance: The closing lines of “summer, somewhere” finally reveal the premise of the preceding poem: that the prayers of those left behind have created this peaceful afterlife for the young black boys who are victims of violent and unjust deaths. This is the first and most extensive example of one...