John Yamrus is widely recognized as master of minimalism and the neo-noir in modern poetry. In a career spanning more than 50 years as a working writer, he has had nearly 4,000 poems published in books, magazines and anthologies around the world. His writing is often taught in college and university courses. Three of his more than 40 books have been published in translation. 2025 has seen the release of two new books: the quasi-memoir CAPTAIN BEEFHEART NEVER LICKED MY DECALS OFF, BABY and a book of poems, DON’T SHOOT THE MESSENGER: JUST GIVE HIM A GOOD PLACE TO HIDE.
to almost
anything she said
was “well I’ll be dipped in shit!”.
it
didn’t
matter what she said,
or
how,
or
why,
or
even if
the response
was appropriate,
or fit...
it
was always
“well, I’ll be dipped in shit.”
it
was so
awkwardly annoying
that
she couldn’t wait
till he’d offer something new.
but,
two weeks
after the accident,
and
the light
that was or wasn’t green,
she’d give
anything she had
to
hear him say it
one more time and smile.
