Poem Relating to an Important Theme

"Confused Feelings"
by Alondra Gonzalez

Feeling of dread
Lost in a world of confusion and pain
Not knowing what to do anymore
Hurt from the unknown

Yearning for the impossible
Wanting to be with them
When nothing else matters
Other than to be within hearing distance of them

Lost from the world of joy
That was once a upon a time
Now it’s come to an ending
With nothing but complete disaster

There’s a times when you can only take so much
And now it’s the time
This heart has gone through too much
And has finally given up on this world

Its sorrow has confused it
And now it wants to give up
But can it…
Wouldn’t that be failure?

There are many important themes pertaining to The Slave Dancer such as survival, trust, imprisonment, and prejudice, but I think the most powerful theme would be the theme of guilt and confusion. Guilt is very much present throughout the novel, as all the characters in one way or another come to experience guilt for what they've done, what they've been doing, and what they could've done. Confusion is equally present throughout the novel because Jessie is at many times unable to decide who to trust, what to do, and which voice in his mind to follow.  

This poem by Alondra Gonzalez communicates the message of the burdens of confusion, hopelessness, and loss. This poem relates to the theme of guilt and confusion in The Slave Dancer because Jessie's confusion becomes an obstacle and prevents him from seeing the truth and coming to terms with and acceptin himself and the actions he has to take to survive, even if they are morally contradicting to himself.