Orginally

Question 1

Loss

Answer 1

“I remember my tongue shedding its skin like a snake”

“Do I only think I lost a river, culture, speech, sense of first space and the right place?”

“My voice in the class sounding just like the rest”

Question 2

Memory

Answer 2

“Do I only think I lost a river, culture, speech, sense of first space and the right place?”

“But then you forget, or don’t recall or change”

Question 3

Growing up / transition / change

Answer 3

“I remember my tongue shedding its skin like a snake”

“My voice in the class sounding just like the rest”

“seeing your brother swallow a slug, feel only a skelf of shame”

Question 4

The senses

Answer 4

“our mother singing our fathers name”

“seeing your brother swallow a slug”

“shouting words you don’t understand”

Question 5

Contrast

Answer 5

“Corners which seemed familiar leading to unimagined pebble-dashed estates”

Question 6

Imagery

Answer 6

“I remember my tongue shedding its skin like a snake”

“my parents anxiety stirred like a loose tooth”

Question 7

Character

Answer 7

“Now, where do you come from? strangers ask Originally? and I hesitate”

Question 8

Setting

Answer 8

“red room”

“miles rushed back to the city, the street, the house, the vacant rooms”

“Corners which seemed familiar leading to unimagined pebble-dashed estates”