Poetry: talking about god by John Yamrus
talking about god
wasn’t
one of
the
things on
Ernie’s list.
i
mean,
i want
to believe,
i
really do, but what’s the point, right?
and
he’d stand
there,
on the
beach, arms crossed,
looking at
us,
waiting
for
someone
to come
along,
take his
picture and
declare
that everything
everywhere
was all right,
and was
never gonna change,
for now
and for ever and ever, amen.
John
Yamrus is one of
the most prolific writers of poetry on the scene today, He is widely considered
to be a master of minimalism and the neo-noir in modern poetry. The relaxed
style of his writing can be seen as a continuation of the oral tradition of
literature associated with Allen Ginsberg and The Beats, and his poems are best
appreciated when read aloud. The unlikely pairing of often dark subjects,
combined with humor and irreverence has become something of a trademark of his
work. His nearly 50 published books, which include not only poetry, but also
novels, memoirs and a children’s book, are beginning to appear in translation,
and he is a frequent guest on podcasts and television programs. His acclaimed
memoir, The Street, is a look back at his early years, growing up less
than wealthy, in a Pennsylvania coal town in the late 1950s. His latest books
include: seriously! and Doing
Cartwheels on Doomsday Afternoon.