In both poems, Abecedarian Requiring Further Examination of Anglikan Seraphym Subjugation of a Wild Indian Rezervation and My Brother at 3 A.M., written by Natalie Diaz depict the harsh experiences that the indegenous had to go through. The one I decided to focus on was, My Brother at 3. A.M.
In My Brother at 3 A.M., the poem revolves around a mother being awaken by her weeping son on her doorstep. There is constant repetition of “He sat cross-legged, weeping on the steps/
when Mom unlocked and opened the front door” and the time of it taking place at 3 A.M. Diaz conveys imagery by using diction on describing the brother’s “lips [that] flickered with sores.” The connection between the lips and the mom asking the brother “on what [is he] on” clearly displays that there is some drug abuse going on. It’s been known for a while that the Indigenous people abuse alcohol and drugs to cope with their past experiences, the stress and living situations.
Reflecting on Diaz’s 2018 interview, and her reflection of not having the ability to “be fully in [her] body” relates to the brother in the poem. The brother did not have permission to fully experience his body, allowing the drug to take over his body. Adding on, the time 3 A.M., is also known for it to be the “Devil’s Hour,” where spirit entities and demons alert humans that their presence is here. The brother perhaps thought he was seeing the devil, but in reality is his mind playing tricks on him.
What really stood out to me was the ending. Where the mother realizes that she’s looking at the “hellish vision” of her son.
Evelyn Hernandez
Introduction to Poetry 