Poetry: Selections From John Yamrus

she looked at him and said:

 

what 

a difference 

there is between 

dreams and reality.  

 

yesterday 

i dreamed you cared.

 

 

 

he looked at her and said:

 

i only write 

when i’m inspired...

when the Muse speaks to me. 

 

she knew 

that was a crock of shit.  

 

the 

only thing 

he ever wrote about 

was that Mexican wife he used to have 

 

and 

that taxi cab job 

that barely paid the rent. 

 

he 

was another 

Bukowski wannabe, 

without the talent and the heart 

 

and 

she knew it 

and he knew it 

and all he ever did 

was talk and drink and 

he wasn’t even good at that.

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.