How A Civilization Begins by Richard

Vargas

Mouthfeel Press, 134 pages, $16

Reviewed by Oscar Mireles

I have edited three anthologies of Latino poetry and fiction featuring almost a hundred Wisconsin poets and writers, including Martín Espada, Ruth Behar, and former Milwaukee Poet Laureate Brenda Cardenas. I would add to that distinguished roster Richard Vargas, who moved to the state in early 2020. He apparently used his days in pandemic isolation writing new poetry and compiling it with earlier, unpublished work into How a Civilization Begins, his fourth collection of poetry. This collection is the work of a mature writer, one who has had a variety of jobs and experiences growing up in Southern California, and living in Rockford, Illinois, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and for the past few years in Madison. Vargas writes from the “everyman” perspective about subjects that relate with ease to the person on the street. His imagery and language reflect respect and appreciation for his readers without sacrificing a sense of poetics. His working-class sensibility shows in the poem “i am still waiting in line,” in which the speaker waits in line for one of the few cashiers on duty:

…i am still waiting while at the far end of the row of vacant conveyor belts and silent cash registers the self-checkout is packed people in a hurry their time is so priceless they rush to give it away

Not only does Vargas have an eye for minute detail, he also has a keen sense of humor. In the poem “outside the box,” the speaker, after a fruitless job search following his graduation from a creative writing program, finds himself “reading poetry at birthday parties”:

…the first time i found myself tied up and hanging from a tree limb swaying back and forth as someone jerked me up and down while blindfolded adults swung a louisville slugger in my direction me spouting off haikus that rained down on the cursing drunks like bite size Snickers and Milky Ways

Vargas’ poems shine a light on social injustice, reminding us we are all connected regardless of the barriers keeping us apart, whether they be an invisible line in the dirt or the languages we speak. The poem “labor of love,” describes a scene at a processing center in New Mexico for families seeking asylum in the U. S.:

…the older kids are kicking soccer balls outside with some of my fellow volunteers the little ones stay inside sit in the roped off area just for them busy with crayons, coloring books, and toys a safe place where they return to being children with their universal need to play

This collection of poetry draws the reader into a world of stories to share, places to visit, and memories that have been almost forgotten. How A Civilization Begins puts Richard Vargas on the map among the other established Latino poets in Wisconsin today.

Oscar Mireles was the Poet Laureate of Madison from 2016 to 2020. He is the editor of three anthologies titled I Didn’t Know There Were Latinos in Wisconsin. He has been the Executive Director of Omega School for almost three decades and has assisted thousands of young adults achieve a GED/HSED Diploma.