Yellow Daffodils
we have grown tired of flowers.
we have grown tired of the word
“poet.”
I take great comfort in any poetry book that starts out with such declarations. However, if you’re looking for page numbers to reference back and forth to throughout Mike Meraz’ Watching It Burn, keep looking. Perhaps it is invisible ink used to tell you where you are at in this book, but for me, I found it much easier to keep in mind the book is short, and the real points of reference are the interlocking themes.
To Be Tough During The Lean Years
Is one of the few times I’ve seen renege not only spelled correctly in a poem, but also properly illustrated i.e. the aesthetic allegiance he compels the reader/writer to follow:
to be tough
during the lean years
is a mighty thing,
indeed.
to stand the forces of failure
and wait it out,
to keep a steady stance
and believe in what you said,
and not renege in hopes of
cutting a deal with the gods.
Mike’s
Girl With The Golden Eyes
reads more like a satirical commentary about how everyone is an:
alcoholic,
duped up,
senselessly
reeking of innocence
and shame
Everything (America) is everyone (Girl). I found it very interesting and quite refreshing actually, that he relates this “world” he makes comparison to, with a woman instead of himself. Some “poets” have a tendency to simply internalize their surroundings and in situations where a “poet” has to write this perspective from that of the opposite gender, they can easily lose sight of their own ideals and perceptions within the caricature. This was not an issue with Mike, who chose rather to incorporate the Girl’s physical presence as a sign of his own jaded and bleak view of what lives and what breathes around him.
she comes in and buys
“Evan Williams”
from you, looks at you
and smiles and says,
“I’ll see you later.”
Meraz’
Home
is synonymous with acceptance and details:
I ask, where did I go wrong?
on this solemn night,
where did I make the wrong turn?
I look back at the details of my life
and realize
I am exactly where I should be
as the cats eat,
I am exactly
where I should be.
Truthfully, I am not one to usually buy into “poets” discussing their pets, because, well, I am not an animal lover, I guess. But it seems to be a commonly used tool in “poetry” relaying comfort and simplicity, which I think are the reinforcement for acceptance and detail in this home.
Living Block
is encouraging for the paltry “poet”…or those generally disinterested in proper hygiene or general home maintenance:
there are bed sores
all over my body,
the roaches have
infested the place,
there are shit stains in my underwear,
my teeth are dirty,
but man,
I am sure turning out the pages!
I am almost compelled to burn the sheets after reading this one. It brings back ugly memories.
Mike Meraz’
Rock Hard and Beautiful
sheds light on the most memorable women of OUR lives, and how they were rock hard, alluring, and something far more perplexing than sentimental value.
sea shells
colored stones
heart shaped
pebbles
tiny trinkets
to show me
they have cared
I hold them in my hand
waiting for them
to bring me some sort
of peace
a lasting forgiveness
I get nothing
but it is
nice to see them
on my dresser
Judy
Heather
Lindsey
all of them rock hard
and beautiful.
AS I LONG TO AVOID THAT HUGE WRECKING
CREW CALLED LOVE
has one underlying message, not altogether obvious upon first read:
Avoid the wrecking crew, by becoming the wreckless and unsalvageable.
AVOID ALL EXERCISING, DRINK
LOTS OF BEER, ROAM AROUND
HALF-DRUNK WHILE WHISTLING
“DON’T STOP BELIEVIN”
Finally, in order
To Catch Fire
there is too much moisture
in grass.
it needs to die
and become brittle
to catch fire.
as the title poem suggests at the end, embrace your bitter, brittle nature, wait for the grassy knoll inside to dry, wither, and die…ignite, then:
Be Kind. Rewind
go back
and seek those
you love.
……………………………
Frankie Metro is the Non-Fiction Editor at Red Fez Publications.
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