i just now – By John Yamrus
Published By John Yamrus • Nov 15th, 2009 • Category: Poetryi just now
agreed to
another interview.
this one’s
for monday.
it’ll be
the same old questions, like:
“how’d you get started?”
“who do you read?”
“who are you influenced by?”
all the same questions
and never once
do i get asked
the right one.
in my opinion,
the only one.
the one that says:
“you write a lot about
dogs.
why is that?”
if they’d only
ask me that
i’d go away happy.
i’d sit them down
and tell them
exactly
what the dogs
do for me…
they teach me
joy,
perseverance
and acceptance.
they teach me
total concentration
on a single task.
and most of all
they teach me
the secret…
the answer to
the one question
i’m asked the most.
the one question
that i’ll never
answer.
they wouldn’t
believe me
if i did.
they’d think
i’m lying.
but, you won’t,
will you?
the truth
is…
the great secret
these dogs
teach me
is
there isn’t
any.
About the Author
John Yamrus
Since 1970 John Yamrus has published 2 novels and 15 volumes of poetry. More than 900 of his poems have appeared in magazines around the world. Selections of his work have been translated into several languages, most recently, Romanian.
Your poems always work for me. They take me to the essence of life and clear away all the usual flowery bits and pieces that some poets weave around their work and write the truth as you see it. Fine poem, John.
This is exactly how I feel about horses. I love it!
thanks Karla;
i love writing about the dogs in my life. it looks like after my next book, DOING CARTWHEELS ON DOOMSDAY AFTERNOON is out (it’ll be out in march) the one after that will be a collection of all my doing poems from over the years, gathered together in one volume. that’ll be about 18 months from now. right now we’re just doing the finishing touches on DOOMSDAY. sounds ominous, huh?
john
I can believe that dogs know and can keep a secret. But what about equally startling secrets never experienced by dogs who think all secrets are the ones they have not told to fumbling humans? What secrets are kept from dogs because they get annoyed if you try to tell them?