Poetry: Shit-For-Brains Wasn't Very Smart By John Yamrus

Shit-for-brains wasn’t very smart.

 

but, 

when they 

call you Shit-for-brains, 

 

nobody 

expects much from you. 

 

nobody. 

 

except for 

Shit-for-brains’ mom.  

 

she 

thought he was 

one hundred percent 

the sharpest knife in the drawer. 

 

she 

always said that.  

 

she’d say:

 

just 

look at that boy; 

smart as the day is long.  

he  gets that from me, he does. 

 

so,

it was surprising 

when him and Patty ran away 

 

and 

got married 

and his mom sat there 

 

on 

the porch 

with Lisa, Hacksaw 

and little Jimmy Rogan, 

 

and 

she said 

that shit-for-brains 

son of hers was hands down 

the absolute dumbest kid she ever did see.  

 

and

almost certain

 

wasn’t

even hers.

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.