Murder City Challenge Entry 2
I’ve called Jeremy Paden this blog’s poet laureate, though since he’s now bigger than the blog, my laurels don’t do much for his reputation. For all that, I apparently still have sway over him: when asked to contribute something to this writing contest, he obliged.1 And he obliged with not a little chutzpah! In five tercets, Jeremy not only adapted Bowden’s prose, but also the traditional form of the villanelle. His poem, which is untitled, follows.
In Juárez lovers are losers and we all
take a turn to piss on the winners.
Given the choices, what would you do?
I’d open the bottle. I’d sniff the glue.
I’d go through the wire, with a shout
and a scream and a head full of dreams.
Here’s the deal: to get in the gang? I’d kill
a man in Juárez. Point my gun, pull the trigger.
Given the choices, what would you do?
I’d pick up the guitar. I’d put on high heels
and dance a bolero, with a shout
and a scream and a head full of dreams.
Given the choices, what would you do?
I’d kill in Juárez, with a shout and scream.
And there I’ll die with a head full of dreams.
Interested readers can find more on Jeremy as well as links to some of his recent publications here.
1 Jeremy submitted his poem before I got around to asking him to write in Spanish. As much as I like what he’s done here, I think he should do that, too.
