Scorpions - "Blood-Light"

The tears Diaz sheds in "Blood-Light" that turn into scorpions are a symbol of her profound love and empathy for her brother. He is wielding a knife in the poem, threatening Diaz and her father, but when she begins to cry and her tears turn into scorpions, they sting her brother and cause him to fall to the ground. This is not evidence of a desire to harm her brother, rather it suggests she thinks that her feelings for him might subdue his violent feelings and tendencies.

Bullet - "Catching Copper"

Diaz's brothers' bullet in "Catching Copper" is a symbol of the high levels of violence within and against Native American communities. When she describes her brothers' relationship with the bullet, she is presumably stating that they carry guns and/or they are more likely to be shot than non-Native men. Native American communities...