The Listener


By Alan King, 2017


Alan King is a Caribbean American, whose parents emigrated from Trinidad and Tobago to the U.S. In this poem, a boy reflects on his deceased aunt. As you read, take notes on how the speaker describes his aunt.




[1] A woman in the next aisle


laughs among the milk


and orange juice.




Laughter stops the words in her throat,


[5] so no matter what, they won’t finish the joke.


She laughs like my Aunt “Mops,”




the one who was ready to drive


from DC to Baltimore to scorch my boss


with her fire-bottle words


[10] when I told her what I made as a reporter


forced to work weekends.




She got her nickname, “Mops,”


from the Mopsy biscuits she loved


as a girl back in Trinidad1.




[15] Every Friday, I’d snatch a stack


of newspapers from my job and race down


to her house where the aromas2


of pound cake and curry


fought each other like siblings.




[20] I’d drop off a few copies at her salon.


She’d smile, See how my nephew all ova’


the front page, so! She’d keep a paper


to read my articles on city council corruption


and displaced3


East Baltimore residents


[25] before she fell asleep.




If I was stressed from work, she’d always say,


Them can’t play sailor and ’fraid powder4.


When she died from cancer,


I thought I lost her forever.


[30] But she’s an aisle over,


laughing


behind the spice shelf.




Footnotes


1. an island in the Caribbean


2. Aroma (noun): a distinctive, typically pleasant smell


3. Displace (verb): to force someone to leave their home


4. During the annual carnival in Trinidad, masqueraders dress as sailors and throw baby powder on spectators and band members. This saying means not to get involved in something if you can’t handle the work involved.



Flag question: Question 1

Question 11 pts

Part A: Which statement expresses the main theme of the poem?

Group of answer choices


A.Happy memories of a loved one can help keep them alive in your heart.


B.It's important to remain optimistic, even during difficult times.


C.No one will ever support you like your family does.


D.You never fully recover from losing a close family member.


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