Walkman

by Michael Robbins

“There was a song that I didn’t know would be the last song I would ever play on a Walkman.” (10)

“Language is a ship that goes down while you’re building it.” (14)

“Some sorrow is so baroque you would look back on it and feel like a schmuck.” (18)

“Even in my shed I want a shed.” (18)

Some of these poems seem like pure filler, but they still have a good line or two. “How can we corrupt the young? The young don’t even know we exist.” He tends to end on a good line. He’s free associating until he gets to something good, then he stops. If the poem is long, it just took him longer to get to something good.

“Outside for the first time in weeks, an eagle’s wingspan between me and the enemy.” This one’s about covid. Thinking of your fellow man as “the enemy” definitely captures covid thinking.

“Those hip youth pastors with their acoustic guitars have the right idea: reduce it to bromides, sing-alongs, manga Jesus. Whatever survives that must be true.” (44)

“If there’s one thing I know, I can’t think of it at the moment.” (48-9)

Lots of covid and climate fear. Existential dread and a dark sense of humor without much mirth.