Like pennies
In "Cakewalk," the speaker describes his HIV as being "Practical. Like pennies. Like copper. It can conduct electricity." By using this simile, the speaker shows the value of his diagnosis, comparing it to another person, whose diagnosis "has in it a little gold."
Light rain
In Duplex, the speaker uses a simile to describe his mother's tears, comparing them to light rain: "Light rain hits easy but leaves its own mark/ Like the sound of a mother weeping again." Here, he is using the simile to suggest how seeing his mother cry impacted him.
The Flowers
In "The Virus," the flowers are a metaphor for the happy things in life, which are threatened by the virus itself, who says "I can't kill the pansies, but I want to." In this poem, the virus threatens to destroy the flowers and "vex" the subject, representing how hard it is to live with a life-altering virus like HIV.
Hailstorm simile
In "Duplex," Brown describes how his father would "hit hard as a hailstorm," a simile that alludes to physical violence and abuse. His father is depicted as a formidable figure in this poem, representing the danger present in the domestic space.
Man of God simile
The speaker of "Bullet Points" uses a simile to describe how the officer might shut his eyes: "To shut my eyes like a man of God might." With this simile, the speaker ironically compares the officer to a "man of God."
