The Golden Shovel
Written after Gwendolyn Brooks, Hayes divides this poem into two parts. The first part deals with the narrator's father and his memories of his dad. He recounts the time his father took him to a bar and the things his father promises to leave him when he dies, some of which are metaphorical. In the second part, the narrator gets more abstracts, recounting his experiences in a "tented city." Both parts borrow from Brooks' poem "We Real Cool."
New Folk
An ode to folk music and the lifestyle of folk musicians. "New Folk" is written in a "folk style" dialect to really capture the feel and essence of the genre.
Ode to Big Trend
A poem about an African-American named "Big Trend" who is the most successful at convincing the boss to actually pay his workers. The narrator of the poem admires and looks up to Big Trend for his stereotype-defying literacy and ability to intimidate the boss.
Stick Elegy
A poem about the narrator's friend Stick who jumped off Yellow Bridge into the water below. The narrator explains how his other friends had jumped into the water and been fine but Stick broke his ankle which unleashed a slew of bad luck.
