Poetry: Selections From John Yamrus

he was

 

an 

aspiring 

actor whose one 

and only claim to fame 

 

was that 

a long time ago 

at a party in Fayetteville 

he danced with Charles Bukowski. 

 

he 

was straight 

and Bukowski was straight,

 

but 

they were 

both drunk and 

it was late and the 

music was really good, 

 

so, what the hell, right?

 

 

 

she was

 

so 

mystically 

cheerful that 

you knew she had to be doomed.

 

so,

it was 

no great surprise 

 

when she 

turned up dead 

on the side of the road. 

 

her 

clothes 

were half gone 

and so was the back of her head.

 

 

 

did i ever tell you

 

about 

the time i finally 

figured everything out 

 

and 

then woke up?

 

i remember 

that i looked at the clock 

 

and 

it was 4:18.

 

the 

window 

was open and 

i could hear a train or 

a car or a whistle somewhere far.

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.