Black Squirrel Poem
by Bill Yarrow
Without contrition, egregious black squirrels
inhabit upper Michigan and fracture the crystalline trees.
Without conscience, disorderly black squirrels
inhabit upper Michigan and scratch the ingenuous sky.
Without remorse, pedantic black squirrels
inhabit upper Michigan and spill the upper boulders in the sun.
Without shame, incendiary black squirrels
inhabit upper Michigan and append the tenebrous dusk.
Without thinking, outré black squirrels
inhabit upper Michigan and petrify the involute world.
Without regret, audacious black squirrels
inhabit upper Michigan and unionize the local rodents.
inhabit upper Michigan and fracture the crystalline trees.
Without conscience, disorderly black squirrels
inhabit upper Michigan and scratch the ingenuous sky.
Without remorse, pedantic black squirrels
inhabit upper Michigan and spill the upper boulders in the sun.
Without shame, incendiary black squirrels
inhabit upper Michigan and append the tenebrous dusk.
Without thinking, outré black squirrels
inhabit upper Michigan and petrify the involute world.
Without regret, audacious black squirrels
inhabit upper Michigan and unionize the local rodents.
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Author's Note
This poem appeared in the Winter 2009 online issue (#21) of Arsenic Lobster. It also appears in Arsenic Lobster's print 2010 Anthology.
Thank you, Susan Yount!
The poem appears in Pointed Sentences (BlazeVOX, 2012).
Other stories by Bill Yarrow
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Nice work. I like the echo of form and phrasing.
oh, i love this. I love x 2 the last stanza! Delightful.
"inhabit upper Michigan and unionize the local rodentia."
Bill, your last lines are consistently decisive. I like that quality in them. I like the repetition as well.
There is a white squirrel in my neighborhood. Marge Piercy posted to my profile page that the whites are called blondes. I didn't know if they might be "albino."
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Love.
nice. i like the permutations.
Go, black squirrels. Unionize all the animals!
Without regret, I fave this.
the incendiary ones "append the tenebrous dusk."
the pedantic ones do not love a wall.
I love this.
I've always been particularly sympatico with union organizers and other agitators. A black squirrel used to follow me around when I was a kid. Ever' time I'd turn around, there he was, taking notes. My father said it was probably not the same one always, but I knew better. Love this.
Really nice poem, I like the repitition and the change of scene each stanza verb conjures up: fracture, scratch, spill, append, petrify, unionize. Original and urban and a nature poem! A lot for one poem Bill
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Loads of fun, and I love that last stanza sooooo much! You use some of my fav adjectives -- egregious, ingenuous, audacious, pedantic. peace *
I love the adjectives in each stanza...how they progressively get bigger and more awesome to describe the squirrels. Great poem Bill!
I like the careful choosing of words, the tension that builds along with the rhythm of the piece. It's fun and yet it's the little frustrations in life such as this that grind away at the mind. The repetition you use emphasizes that. Nice.
Yes, the echo of form and phrasing, the verbs, the adjectives, the attitude: I enjoyed reading it.
The rodentia around Detroit haven't reached the point of unionization yet. They're too busy reclaiming the city's abandoned neighborhoods.
So many great words in such a small space! Fav.
Fantastic repetition and pacing here and great imagery.
I read,I want, but I can not...
contentment still not available:(
these black squirrels have unionized. they are eating all my cat food.
I particularly like the idea of incendiary and outré black squirrels. Looking forward to meeting some one day. Although hereabouts they'll probably be red.
wallace stevens-like whimsy.