We Must Be Carefully Taut
by Bill Yarrow
Courage. Coraje! There's nothing behind
Puerto Numero Tres. Pay no attention
to the cabeza in the transom. In the dread
of night, navigate by the sliver moon, pero
cuidado: no road leads to magnetic north.
Do you remember, amigo, how to give change
for a dollar? Six nickels and seven dimes.
Three quarters, two dimes, and one nickel.
Sixteen buffalo nickels and two liberty dimes.
Or a boxful of slugs and a pair of brass
knuckles; a leather sap, a gravity knife,
and mercury gloves. El mundo es un lugar
peligroso, the earth is a fearful domain.
Remember, gringo, you used to live there.
Puerto Numero Tres. Pay no attention
to the cabeza in the transom. In the dread
of night, navigate by the sliver moon, pero
cuidado: no road leads to magnetic north.
Do you remember, amigo, how to give change
for a dollar? Six nickels and seven dimes.
Three quarters, two dimes, and one nickel.
Sixteen buffalo nickels and two liberty dimes.
Or a boxful of slugs and a pair of brass
knuckles; a leather sap, a gravity knife,
and mercury gloves. El mundo es un lugar
peligroso, the earth is a fearful domain.
Remember, gringo, you used to live there.
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Author's Note
This poem appeared in Istanbul Literary Review #19
Thank you, Susan Tepper and Gloria Mindock!
The poem appears in Pointed Sentences (BlazeVOX, 2012).
Other stories by Bill Yarrow
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mercury gloves. hah!
fave
"mene mene tekel upharsin" - Couldn't help but think of it.
Great piece, Bill - form and music in the lines. I remember it well from ILR.
si, esta es bueno! Dio! (favorite)
p.s. title is perfection
fascinating. .. fave
I really enjoyed the languages, I love languages. Nice writing, Bill, and I like what you did with taut, too. *
You forgot a .38 Special and a sock full of ball bearings. Fav.
y en los suenos suenos son *
You had me at the title.
I love the compression and clarity in this piece.
So well crafted.
Great work!
Gracias, Misti! (Couldn't write to your wall directly.)
Bill, This punnyness has GOT to stop! Like the first stanza best.*
Again I must squint to avoid focus on a title while reading a grand poem. Especially like the sudden switch to a darker tone with gravity knife.
Bill, it's still a winner and we are honored to have pubbed it.
*
Finely honed menace in time, measure; this could nearly be sung( in a deathly whisper.)
Sorry, that got garbled in the transmission, should have read:
Finely honed menace with your wonderful sense of time/measure. This could nearly be sung( in a deathly whisper.)
Poetry wise. A taut thought. When up tight, take care.
Awesome. Tight, terrific. *
Fierce - the voice and language is almost hypnotic. I find myself somewhere I don't want to be, but I keep reading it again and again. Fave.
I agree with Emily here, Bill. Hypnotic and haunting both. So concise, laser sharp precision.
Fave.
Bill, the things you do with words blow my mind. *
"Do you remember, amigo, how to give change
for a dollar?" - I love that, just right exactly where it is there.