Lyric Life

Esteban Rodríguez' poem "9 El Barril" stopped me cold when I found it on Twitter a while back. It's an elegantly crafted poem that explores the divide between a young boy and his drunk father, out in the yard, burning everything in sight. The poem is caught on divides in every direction, exploring those gaps and silences through deceptively simple language that keeps moving in and out of poetic forms and rhythms. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as I explore this lyric poem by a young poet in Austin, Texas. The poem catches me up short, decenters me as a white reader, and offers the truth about what happens when you see your father for who he really is. If you'd like to see more of Rodríguez' work, check out his latest collection of poetry here: https://sundress-publications.square.site/product/the-valley-by-esteban-rodriguez-pre-order-/145?cs=true&cst=custom (https://sundress-publications.square.site/product/the-valley-by-esteban-rodriguez-pre-order-/145?cs=true&cst=custom) And for more gritty poetry (