Punching the Air

From the very first poem, “Birth,” the novel in verse reveals how reflective and serious Amal’s voice is through the tone of his words. He states that he “was born with an / old, old soul” (4). The second poem takes place in the courtroom, where Amal’s trial is taking place. Amal is on trial for allegedly beating up a white teenager named Jeremy Mathis. Mathis, who is in a coma, cannot testify that Amal is not the one who beat him up. During the trial, Amal gradually reveals more about his predicament by sharing about the people who surround his case. In “Character Witness,” Amal introduces readers to his high school art teacher Ms. Rinaldi, who is a character witness for him. It is the first time that she has seen Amal in a suit and tie, which his mother, Umi, told him to wear “because optics” (9). “Anger Management” tells readers that Ms. Rinaldi says she works with Amal “To channel his anger into his art” (10). More witnesses come to the stand in “White Space II,” including the college student who filmed the fight between Amal’s friends and Jeremy’s friends.