(2) Sea Level
"Hanging Fire" is a pretty straightforward poem. There's not a lot of highfalutin' diction. There's no crazy syntax, nor complex meter, nor off-the-wall metaphors; the poem, after all, is spoken in the voice of a 14-year-old. The poem may deal with some complicated issues, but it does so in a clear way, in words that are easy to understand. (Thanks, Ms. Lorde!)