Young, Kevin - Jelly Roll: A Blues

[oyceter]

I was first introduced to Kevin Young via heresluck's two posts and further prompted by coffeeandink's praise.

I don't usually read poetry; the last time I have seriously was probably for school. I feel like a lot of it goes over my head, and I tend to speed through poetry and not get the effect until later. I think I've read Jelly Roll about three times now, some poems maybe more, and while it's hard for me to place it in my personal ranking of poetry, as I have none, I really like it.

Kevin Young does the blues in this book, as the subtitle notes, and the collection goes through the familiar arch of love, loss, and lament. What I noticed most was Young's playfulness with the language: most of the poems are drawn-out metaphors. I am sure this is common to poetry (?), and can't say how different Young's is, save that it felt fresh to me, and many of the poems made me laugh with their invention and cheek and delight. I tend to like the first third of the collection better, probably because I gravitate toward happy cheerful music, and I particularly love it when Young uses food in his poetry, for the obvious reasons ;).

My favorite poems are the ones like "Disaster Movie Theme Music" or "Blues" (below); I can almost hear the music, deep bass twanging through your heart overlaid with a raspy, whiskey voice.

Below are some of the poems I remembered most, but I had a very hard time choosing (ergo reading some of the poems more than a few times); so many of them have a wonderful turn of phrase or a drawn-out metaphor that I love.

Blues

Gimme some fruit
Gimme some fruit
Fresh salted melon
maybe some mango too

You had me eating pork ribs
You had me eatin ham
You had me so I was feedin
straight out your hand

Gimme some fruit, baby
Gimme some fru-uit
Something red
& juicy I can sink
these teeths into

You had me eating peas Lord
You had me eatin spam
(You had me so turned round)
I never dreamt all you said
came straight out a can

Gimme some fruit
Gimme some fru-uit
Gimme something strong girl
to clear my system a you

You served me up
like chicken
You deviled me like ham
Alls the while I never knew
you had you another man

Gimme some fruit, girl
Gimme some tomato too
What else is a poor
carnivore like me
without you supposed to do

Ragtime

Like hot food
I love you

like warm
bread & cold

cuts, butter
sammiches

or, days later, after
Thanksgiving

when I want
whatever's left

Er, yes, I do love the food ones very much; I feel "Ragtime" is a particularly wonderful love letter because of course love is hot food and warm bread and cold leftovers.

Comments

[gwynnega]

Sounds awesome. I just ordered it from Amazon!

[oyceter]

Yaaay! More people reading Kevin Young!