The hippies as symbolic
The bohemian and hippie movements (also includes beatniks and other similar movements) are symbols for the experience of self that the poet has. He identifies deeply with the artistic expression of the self, especially through language and style. Also, he sees this as a strange aspect of his self-opinion, because there are those around him who suggest that one can't be Black and a hippie. The question is symbolic, because it points to the crisis between community and individuality.
The motif of ego transcendence
The poet raises many questions through his lines. Through motif, the theme emerges that the poet sees the ego as the center of these puzzles. When he views his life through the limited lens of his perception, his memory, and his ego, he finds himself bemused and at odds with himself, but the motif points to transcendence. By focusing on the spiritual wonder of existence, some of the conflicts are erased.
The movements for equality
In the poetry, the poet's participation in the marches for equality are a symbol for both the literal mistreatment and historical disenfranchisement of the Black community because of America's gnarly history of brutal racism, and also something else. The movements also symbolize a deep-rooted, automatic kind of identity which the poet experiences. He feels that he is part of the group, and that symbolizes a community-level identity that is as valid as his individuality.
The symbol of the title
To call himself The Liar is symbolic, and also ironic, because it captures the difficulty the poet feels in expressing himself. Because his 'self' is far beyond what he is able to fathom or put into language, he feels that to express himself at all is dishonest, because he fails so thoroughly to capture the ineffable quality of his life. He is unable to explain what it feels like to be him, to be alive and living, and the poetry codifies that process.
Love and spirituality
Through motif, another answer emerges to life's puzzles. Just as ego-transcendence was a crucial help in understanding his own self and his identity, love and spirituality are offered as the solution to the world's brokenness. By focusing on the higher things, like love and enlightenment, the poet suggests that communities could be healed. Both the hippies and the Black community alike can participate in those processes which will unify them the way that in himself, those identities are unified.
