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.
