Poetry: You Mean You Just Split? Took Off? By John Yamrus

you mean you just split?  took off?

 

yeah, 

i’m gone 

all fuckin’ day 

 

and 

all night 

 

and 

i do what i want 

and come and go when i feel like it.  

 

sure, 

the place is small 

and there’s no room for anything, 

 

but 

it’s mine 

and that’s all i care about.

 

but, 

what about Sandy?

 

never mind her.  

 

she can 

take care of herself.  

always has and always will. 

 

besides...

 

he was gonna say something more, 

 

but 

he didn’t. 

 

he just 

looked at the floor...

 

and 

the wall 

and the window.

 

and 

he stared at 

the faces passing by, 

 

one 

by one, 

 

in the ever changing light.

 

 

 

 

 

John Yamrus is widely recognized as master of minimalism and the neo-noir in modern poetry. In a career spanning more than 50 years as a working writer, he has had nearly 4,000 poems published in books, magazines and anthologies around the world. His writing is often taught in college and university courses. Three of his more than 40 books have been published in translation. Fittingly, the 75 year old’s newest book is a volume of his signature minimalist poetry called AIN’T DONE YET (Anxiety Press).