Swallow the Lake

This poem was especially interesting to me because it was one of a few poems that used very unorthodox structure.  It also made no direct reference to race or racism, which tends to open poems up quite a bit to various interpretations.  This poem is particularly cryptic.
My interpretation is that the Lake is symbolic of something inescapable.  In this case it is not slavery, but his anger and hate ultimately resulting from slavery.  The author uses a subtle suicide dynamic as a metaphor for killing his restraint and calm persona.  The first stanza establishes the premise of the poem; the narrator is contemplating as he looks "up-down" into Lake Michigan.  I think it's reasonable to assume that the author lives somewhere near Lake Michigan, but I'm not sure if it has any other significance.  The body of water is referred to simply as "the Lake" in the title.  The phrase up-down implies that although he is physically looking down into the Lake, perhaps he is anticipating his change.  From there on out, the poem is structured as broken thoughts.  The second stanza is describing his life experiences, perhaps with racism, but not necessarily.  However the line "More deaths!  Stupidity and death," (11) somehow makes me think directly of hate crimes; he mentions that this causes him great strife and anger.
When one finally gives in, and is "released" from the quiet bearing of that pain "One becomes immune to the bricks / to the feelings / One becomes death / One becomes each one and every person I become," (32-35).  The narrator becomes something powerful, angry, pure.  Yet this release comes with another release: the release of his peace and innocence.  He will be cursed to live a life of restlessness, and there will be no escape.  "I could not whistle and walk in storms / along Lake Michigan's shore / Concrete walks. Concrete deaths / I could not — / I could not swallow the lake," (39-43).