Poetry: I Think I Was 14 By John Yamrus

i think i was 14

 

the year 

my father died.  

 

i remember the woman 

who hugged me and said:

 

it’s up to you to be the man of the house now.

 

we 

had a garden 

and Peyton Place was on tv 

and it was the last good year for Willie Mays.

 

we grew tomatoes and peppers and lettuce and more.

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.