Long Way Down

The narrator, Will Holloman, introduces himself. Though the following events are hard to believe, he insists they did in fact happen to him. He talks about what it means to “know / know” (2) someone. He then explains that his older brother Shawn was recently shot and killed. It happened while Will and his friend Tony were standing outside, chatting. They hear shots, duck, and hide, as they are accustomed to doing, then wait until the shots die down to come out. Only one person is dead—Shawn. His girlfriend Leticia screams, and Will says, “I think she hoped / her voice would / somehow keep him / alive” (15). Will compares the ensuing waves of grief to a pulled tooth: “The worst part… / is the constant slipping / of your tongue / into the new empty space” (6).

The police question people, but there are no answers. Will explains, “gun shots make everybody / deaf and blind” (19). No one wants to be associated with the murder by providing information. Will’s mother sobs, grieving her son. Will watches as his brother’s body is left on the street; finally, yellow tape is put up to indicate the crime scene.