312 chapter nine
twentieth century: junkies, prostitutes, petty criminals and so on. For
example, in «Small-Time City Thief» (ජᏖᇣً, 2000):^5
«Small-Time City Thief»
out of a fistful of last year’s snow
you squeeze a lump of black mud
empty as air. you can’t find a stone to kick
and so you hold to the straight and narrow line
the streets are swept too well to offer shelter anymore
the buses are no longer crowded
you just can’t get used to the girl selling shoes saying
how are you, or the shop
selling hamburgers instead of steamed rolls
fuck! all these things have changed
and no one’s talking to you
big brother’s gone to vietnam for big bucks
brother two’s a gangleader now, brother three’s been taken in
brother four was run over and killed, brother five’s gone back to work the fields
and you’ve no place to go. in ’68, you were born here
you’re from the city, you’ve made your own life since you were small
you’re no cheat no robber no rapist you’re chaster than a monk
you walk past the police, careful now
but they don’t even bother to look
you slow your step, people swirling
past you all the time. you set yourself down
in the city park, the fence pinching your ass
for the first time you question your beloved trade
nobody needs you now. you were born at the wrong timeIn addition to her ability to combine a sense of humor with credible
moments of melancholy, what makes Yin one of the better Lower
Body poets is her regard for poetic form, in ditty-like, playful repeti-
tion, near-rhyme and beautifully flowing rhythm. In «Wet with Paint»
(⊍ⓚᑆ, 2001), seven consecutive lines (3-9) are syntactically and
rhythmically identical, and end in the same character (ᑺ):^6
(^5) Yin 2001: 183-184.
(^6) Blue 6 (2002): 112-113.