“Trouble Man” is one of John Murillo’s earliest published works. It’s a thought-provoking poem which revolves around a man who left for work and inside another car he hears Marvin Gaye music playing, he faintly picks it out. This music reminds him of his father, a strong man who “came up hard.” He fought in Vietnam and had callused hands. Despite the protagonist’s father being a tough man, he was “the boy who became that man, without meaning” which sort of explains the name of the poem. The “Troubled Man”, I believe, is the man who grew up with the pressure to be his father, yet failed. He compares himself to his father and is disappointed in himself. His father lived a life of purpose, while he aimlessly trudges on. As a teenager, I can somewhat relate to the last part of “aimlessness.” At this age people always inquire about what your interests are and your plans and while many of us answer them with confidence, I feel as if it is distant from us, as if our future is an impending event and the present is merely some state of limbo before we reach the horizon.
This poem is written in a way that is very choppy, yet still follows along a preconceived pattern of events. The story wasn’t too difficult to make out, yet I feel that Murillo, just as in all of his work that I’ve read, intends to be very ambiguous and abstract. I can appreciate this artistic way of storytelling, yet I believe that someone should explore other avenues as well. In addition, while I am totally for an artistic approach to one’s writing, there is a point when something becomes too “artsy.” I’m not accusing Mr. Murillo of this, but judging off what I have read, I can imagine him striving at times for too much of an artistic approach. Now, I understand that he is a professional poet and I am a mere high school student, but it’s my opinion and, with my limited experience with poetry, I have always found more enjoyment in the substance of the story, rather than how it’s conveyed.
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