Mr. Z

     The first line of Carl Holman's poem "Mr. Z" absolutely infuriated me. It reads, "Taught early that his mother's skin was a sign of error" (Holman, 848). It is evident that Mr. Z is African american, or at least partially from his mother's side. This first line really sets the tone for the entire poem because it shows how Mr. Z is an insecure man lacking pride in his heritage. This continues on in a metaphor near the end of the poem that I feel truly sums up the entire meaning of the work. Holman writes that Mr. Z is like "an airborne plant, flourishing without roots." As previously stated in the poem, Mr. Z is ashamed of his ethnicity. This metaphor really raps up his life's meaning saying that he has no roots, no foundation to build his life on.. It seems as though Mr. Z lives his entire life without a purpose because he never came to terms with the beautiful ethnicity he was blessed with. I really like that Holman started the poem with  a fact and then tied back into that fact with a metaphor