Throughout “Facing It” there are multiple contrasting metaphors parallel to each other. The speaker says “I am stone. I am flesh” (l.5), which is a contradiction. Stone is expressionless, numb and immovable, while flesh is weak, full of life and expression and decays over time. The division between these two physical properties is used to highlight the differences between skin color and racism. By comparing the two to each other, Komunyakaa is able to remove the barrier between them. The speaker also says that his reflection is “like a bird of prey, the profile of the night/ inclined to the morning” (l.7-8.) Night can be associated with black, while morning can be related to light and white. This creates a direct parallel between African Americans and Caucasians and is used to accentuate the similarities between the races. Each side is a part of night and day. The two together are necessary for all natural processes of