Poetry: It's Hard To Believe By John Yamrus

it’s hard to believe

 

it was 

70 years ago, 

when my father got mad 

about something i said or did and 

 

threw 

a set of keys 

at me that hit me in the head.   

 

they 

weren’t very heavy 

and it didn’t bleed that much 

and when i saw the blood it pissed him off, 

 

and 

i had to 

eat my supper 

sitting under the table.

 

and 

i thought it 

kinda funny, sitting there, 

looking at the knees and the shoes and the floor, 

 

eating my 

mashed potatoes, 

and chicken and peas,

and the best part of it all was 

 

when 

i stuck my plate 

out from under the table 

 

and,

in my best 

Charles Dickens Oliver Twist voice 

 

said:

please sir, 

can i have some 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.