Though not directly connected to The Mafia,
per se, a typical Some Guy might just happen to know a
couple two three other guys who are, as he puts it,
“imbolbed.” When asked direct questions about these
friends, Some Guy clams up, assumes an entirely different
facial expression, occasionally emitting the following phrases
in rapid-fire succession: “I don’t know nobody. I don’t
know no names.” This fellow makes a good neighbor and
is an excellent gardener.
The framework here belongs to the author. It does not look like a typical poem in the sense of having stanzas and so forth. Not all the poet’s verse are similarly constructed as prose narratives, but he does have a tendency toward occasionally unconventional spacing. “Some Guy” is introduced in the opening line as a “super-hero for the Era of Futility.” At first, it is not entirely clear that “Some Guy” is actually not just some guy, but a very specific “type” associated with geography and subculture. The introduction of the super-hero motif leads the reader to expect things to go in one direction or another, but probably most will no predict that this is the type of ordinary job familiar with goodfellas and wiseguys, but not really of that crowd.
Whenever I speak
I arrive in Texas.
Whenever I fall silent
I depart from Texas.
Texas
is how I look at things.
When you come towards me
you come towards Texas.
It is relatively safe to attribute autobiography to this particular poem. Like the speaker, Winter is himself a Texan. As to whether the assertiveness of opinion that the man and the geographical property he just happened to be born in are inextricably intertwined in a significant and meaningful way is also something shared between writer and his creation? That’s likely up to the reader to decide. Not that it matters because one should judge the meaning of a poem based on what is there, not what expects to find. When assigned a lesson to explicate or analyze this verse—or any other—that is something important to keep in mind. What do we know for sure: the author and the speaker of the poem were both born in Texas. And even isn’t really know for absolute certain by most readers.
An especially odious and slimy biped, most often
found in academic communities. Distinguishing feature:
A sphincter-shaped mouth, which tightens just before the
moment of attacks, which are usually verbal in nature.
Narrow slit-eyes magnified only slightly by designer
glasses. Activities include writing incomprehensible poems
written for the express purpose of baffling its prey
The description of this particular creature indicates a distinct distaste upon the part of the speaker for a certain stereotypical figure found on many college campuses. Here again, the reader is presented with an opinionated speaker who may or may not be a mouthpiece for the poet himself. Because the content of this poem suggests that the “Sphincter Mouth” is a stereotype—or, at least, a figure easily recognized by those who have spent time in academia—analysis becomes more problematic than the proud native of the Lone Star state. After all, who hasn’t had run into the inexplicably proud Texan either in real life or fiction? But the “Sphincter Mouth” is unique to a very specific career path. That the poet is confident enough to expect those who share that career path to easily recognize his traits is highly suggestible.
