This third installment features car-themed poems by Vancouver-based Jeff Derksen— taken from the idiom of car sales in Craig’s List. Derksen is interested in the particular language (and class aspect) of how older cars are described for sale. And also in the way the car culture persists in cities and suburbs.
In the Idiom:
All Cars & Trucks
(dealer + by owner)
1988 audi
needs
a new deceleration
valve but with that
it will run fine
brand new battery
it doesn’t run
right now, like i said
it needs
a deceleration valve
but i would be willing
to tow it
to you.
1985 Audi 4000 Quattro. Exterior
is stock red
interior is brown cloth
with black dash
and door paneling.
Needs break job
& possibly alignment.
Other than that
this car runs
like a CHAMP!
Its a nice ride!
so we have two
cars that we need
to get rid of
the 92 audi 100s fwd runs
and drives, but
its an automatic
and it sticks
in first gear. the 99
subaru is wrecked
and the drivetrain
is not saveable
the radiator
was pushed into
the timing belt cover
and we tried to push
the car in neutral
but we hit
a big clunk.
the audi
just needs a transmission
or a transmission
service, and whoever
picks up the subaru
will either need
a flat bed
and a STRONG winch
or an extra set of wheels
to put underneath
the rear end
because its all wheel drive.
the cars are complete
but we will
be keeping the wheels
and the front seats
off of the Subaru
other then that
both cars are complete,
full drivetrain interior
(other then the subaru seats)
and they both even
have the catalytic converters
on them. easily
$100-$200 just right there.
give me a text
or a call at 503-555-4685
name is Jordan
and both cars have
the title
and they are both clear.
***
Jeff Derksen’s poetry books include The Vestiges, Transnational Muscle Cars, Dwell, Until, and Down Time and his critical books are After Euphoria, Annihilated Time and How High Is the City, How Deep Is Our Love. With the research collective Urban Subjects he has co-edited Autogestion, or Henri Lefebvre in New Belgrade and The Militant Image Reader. He’s currently the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at Simon Fraser University, in Vancouver. His research resides at the intersection of geography, poetics and cultural practices.
