It is symbolic of not only Komunyakaa's plight during the war, but that of many African-Americans who were drafted or enlisted. Many black soldiers likely felt unrecognized and unappreciated for the essential roles they played during this time; their efforts only "hiding inside" the spectrum of the war. Later he states: "I go down the 58,022 names, half-expecting to find my own in letters like smoke" (14-16). Smoke, which is normally dark in color, is a remnant of a substance that existed but is fleeting and quickly forgotten; leaving little record of its existence. In essence, he is acknowledging his feeling of being black and forgotten; lost in the trenches of the war. The monument is serving as a physical representation of the war, allowing the poet to connect with those distant, but fresh, memories. .
These emotions began to overtake Komunyakaa as his "clouded reflection eyes [him] like a bird of prey" (6-7) as his attitude of himself and the environment around the memorial begins to change. Initially the poet was distinct, separate from the monument; but as he connected to its profound meaning, his own view becomes hazed by the impending slab of granite. The Memorial and his recollections began to consume him like a bird hunting for its next meal.
"Brushstrokes flash, a red bird's wings cutting across my stare. The sky. A plane in the sky" (22-24). These lines are indicative of Komunyakaa's main conflict between the present and past. The monument is representative of the war so the monument site is essentially reminding him of his battle experiences. Something as simple as a bird invokes the image of a war plane blazing across the sky. These lines are not only expressive of his current predicament, but they also written as an audible representation of the conflict the author feels as he alternates between end-stopped and enjambed verses; a practice that is demonstrated throughout the poem.