In the Gathering of Silence

Levi Romero

In his first collection of poems, Levi Romero expresses the heart of a stranger at the margins of a city—Albuquerque.  His sturdy judgment, self-deprecating humor, and respect for his friends and culture give this volume its appeal.  Whether sympathizing with a friend’s humiliating circumstances or talking to a girl on a phone from a bar, Romero projects a personality both guileless and sensitive.

“Levi’s words are familiar yet astounding in their recall of minute and crucial detail.”—Luci Tapahonso

one night I was shooting pool down at Jack’s
when the bartender yelled out
that there was a phone call
for someone whose name sounded like mine
and I was real surprised
that it was for me, you know

well, it was this fine babe from the Westside
that I’d met a few weeks before
she said that my roommate
had told her I’d be there
she said she’d been wondering
what I’d been doing
and how come I hadn’t called

she wanted me to go over
so I said yeah, o.k.
I’ll be there in a little while
but I want to shoot a couple more games
not that I was really interested
in pool anymore
but, hey I couldn’t let on
like I didn’t ever get
those kinda calls, you know
             —from “Easynights and a Pack of Frajos”

6 x 9 inches • 58 pages • ISBN 0-931122-84-8 • $7.95