POETRY : Yakima Canyon by Paolo Bicchieri
We were lucky enough to hear Paolo Bicchieri’s incredible slice of poetry - “Yakima Canyon” - at The Racket Reading Series : WHO KNOWS? We liked it so much we published it in The Racket Journal : Issue Thirty-One.
But we wanted more. So Paolo, nice person that he is, recorded it so you too can enjoy it.
We hope you will.
“Yakima Canyon”
by Paolo Bicchieri
The cattle in the canyon stank of death
let me try again
very very sorry
The cattle I drove through the canyon stank
a snake spit in my face, coiled
cordless phone beeped ahead of
the cliff face and proud boys cast
flys in the river like they were Jesus
like letting the waters course around
gum boots was holier than walking on
let me try again
very very sorry
let me drown it out
let me
very sorry
very very sorry
let me
drown
let me drown it
let me try again
very
very sorry
canyon slick in ash, a notion of blackness
numbing it, the water
numbing it in a viper bite
a vibration
very very sorry / let me try again
I drove the cattle and there were
water walkers wading / waiting
let me go / let me drown it
try again, very sorry
Paolo Bicchieri a poet, journalist, and novelist living on the coast. His work can be found in Ghost City Press, Nomadic Press, Eater SF, SFWeekly, Bay Area Generations, and Something Ordinary. He's of the mind that police need defunding."
