This volume helped reassure me that I can indeed understand modern poetry, despite my past difficulties with the genre. In this case, I was won over by the many entries that reflect life in the borderland area in which I grew up (and where the author resides). But what notably came across were the trauma and the disillusionment that are left upon returning to the U.S. from military service overseas. Unapologetic bluntness in entries such as "The Smoke Also Rises…" and "I Was Dreaming, Again, Of Iraq" made it clear these are for a more mature audience.
There's welcome levity, though: "Of Steering Wheels and Bulldogs" pictures a humorous interaction between a driver and his canine companion, and "Breaking Up with Jimmy Buffett" weaves in nods to some of the singer's lyrics. The fourth poem, titled "DeWitt County," is my favorite of all -- briefly yet richly visualizing the desert terrain, and the ghosts of human presence, in south Texas. The poem "Pase, Señor (White Privilege)" won my admiration with the narrator acknowledging an unfair advantage that's been unavoidably thrust upon him.
A number of these entries pay homage to beat authors and their works -- in fact, this collection inspired me to finally begin Jack Kerouac's "On the Road." While it may not be strictly necessary to be familiar with the latter classic to appreciate this poetry volume, I admit that my exposure to the novel brought a new light to my second perusal of "Reading Up on Ecuador" and "Van Horn Rest Stop." On a related note, "Roadtrip (Paying for the Gas)" was tempting me to risk a journey across State lines -- not by plane, but on four wheels.
While I wish page numbering and a table of contents had not been excluded, that's a minor quibble. The biographical summary at the end makes clear (and frank) the poet's varied sources of inspiration. "Written While Volunteering at the Homeless Shelter Where I Once Slept" is minimal and self-explanatory; "Recidivists" immediately bares its theme. "It Was Not Sacrifice" compels the reader to sober up from naïve assumptions at flag-waving parades and ceremonies. I'm impressed by the reverse psychology in "I Want You to Hate This Poem."
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