Minor Miracle by Marilyn Nelson

Marilyn Nelson's style of writing is what excited me the most about her poem, "Minor Miracle."  In the first line of the poem I liked how she described her memory "another knock-on-wood memory."  This description prepared me for a story that would have some danger and a narrow escape.  I hung on to each word of the prose as if I was watching scenes from a movie.  The suspense was building and the use of the racial slur sparked fear in me for the friends who were out minding their business taking in the sights.  The two bikers did not appear to be surprised at the truck drivers blatant racism.  However, I felt several different emotions.  I liked that the poem made me feel.  I felt fear and sadness for the two friends and I felt contempt for the truck driver.  I was anxious to know what happened, convinced that there would not be a positive ending to the story. 
The scenes continued to roll and the writers use of description and the repeating of the racial slur created tension.  The writers word choices helped to build suspense for a tragic ending, or at least I was prepared for an outcome nothing like the one the writer chose.  I was shocked and breathed a sigh of relief.  That was when I realized that I had been holding my breath.