Masterpieces from Michael McClintock
Michael McClintock has been described as a master of contemporary English language Haiku. McClintock has an uncanny knack for describing a moment so eloquently that the reader is transferred into a place and time in which he or she has felt that exact same emotion.
McClintock’s use of imagery and the English language creates Haiku that are nearly indescribable. In fact, the only way to describe them is by using the word “accurate”. I use “accurate” because no matter the emotion McClintock is trying to convey, whether it be loneliness, hostility, hopelessness, enlightenment, or happiness, he writes in such a way that allows any reader to relate exactly to that specific emotion.
McClintock is a poet in a league all his own. Many of his works are dark and filled with personal experience. He often uses a theme of despair, regret, or loneliness, which is conveyed so brilliantly that you as the reader can feel those exact same raw human emotions. Unlike many other Haiku authors, McClintock’s works are those that stem from deep within. Instead of focusing on nature or outside elements, he is a very introverted writer. When reading McClintock’s work, you feel as though you are truly in his thoughts. It is my objective in this paper to analyze and discuss several of McClintock’s works. It is my hope to illustrate McClintock’s ability to write and describe raw human emotion in its most original form. This is a style that is very unique and original to McClintock. He takes prose Haiku poetry to a whole new level. Even a person who has never read a single Haiku before can read one of McClintock’s masterpieces and feel as though it were his or her own experience. To begin, I would like to discuss several of McClintock’s works that explore his writing more closely and illustrate these elements of which I have mentioned. The first piece is a Haiku from Anthology of Days a Backwoods Broadsides Chaplet Series publication from 2002:
“only temporary”—
about our separation
we agree to lie
Michael McClintock, Anthology of Days, #8
The emotion in this haiku is raw and unwavering. Filled with so much bitterness and yet there is an undertone of relief that is apparent to me. McClintock writes about a very personal moment that can be related to him self as well as many.
Haiku about relationships are commonplace but it takes a truly gifted Haiku artist to write a “dead-on” interpretation of a feeling we can all relate to. As the reader, you can put yourself into this situation in the very first line: “only temporary—“ speaks so loudly. Whether the reader is the one who utters these words or the recipient of their bittersweet honesty, they are able to place themselves right into this relationship. The next line “about our separation”, lets the reader confirm the fact that this Haiku is about the tragedy of a lost relationship. However, moving into the final line “we agree to lie” evokes a sense of calm, indifference with a hint of relief. The word “agree” suggests that this is the first time in a long time this couple has come to an agreement or understanding about anything. The fact that they are “agreeing to lie” leaves the reader with a sense of relief that this dysfunctional relationship is now over. So eloquently stated, McClintock allows the reader to escape to their own remembrances of a situation or situations similar to this one.
The next few Haiku are from Jesus Leaving Vegas, published by Pentagram Press in 1976, it is a collaboration of works from S.L Poulter, Virginia Brady Young and of course Michael McClintock:
half a sandwich
to eat slowly
again tonight
Michael McClintock, Jesus Leaving Vegas, p. 8
McClintock projects a true sense of loneliness in this Haiku. When I initially read it, I was immediately transferred to a small apartment kitchen. I can see a single, middle-aged man sitting alone at his kitchen table eating his dinner in silence.
Painfully alone, each night passes the same as the last. He eats his sandwich slowly simply to pass more time. Each bite reminds him, he alone was the maker of his sandwich and he alone sits each night eating the same pathetic meal. Only half-eaten from the night before the bread is stale and the meat is slimy. Each chewed bite falls deep into the pit of his stomach. Longing for the warmth of someone else or simply for the phone to ring he knows in his heart he will continue his sad ritualistic lonely existence tomorrow. As the reader, I felt pity for this person I imagined in this poem. However, I could also remember a time in which I felt extremely alone. I believe we can all think of a time in which we would have felt there is no one else in the world that can understand the depth of our own loneliness. For this reason, this is another excellent example of how McClintock is able to truly capture an emotion; in this case loneliness, and make the reader feel it.
before dying
the little spider
--it shit
Michael McClintock, Jesus Leaving Vegas, p. 32
This Haiku tends to differ significantly from the others I have discussed. It is one of my favorites because it speaks about the naturalness of life. I also like it because it is rather lighthearted in comparison to many of his other Haiku. Essentially life is the act of being born leading to each persons inevitable death. No matter what each on of us does throughout the course of our lives, none of us can change the eventual outcome.
However, I like the writer’s method of making the act of death very natural. Nothing in life is more natural than bodily functions. There are certain things that all living organisms must do in order to sustain life; eating, reproducing, breathing, drinking, and expelling wastes are the most natural things anyone can do. The way the writer explains the spider “shits” before it dies shows the spider’s one last act as a truly natural living organism and in these natural acts lies beauty even in death and expelling wastes. After all, without these processes we could not and would not exist.
The next set of Haiku are taken from Letters in Time. Letters in Time was published in 2005 by Hermitage West:
a few
were right to call me
an idiot
tonight I think of them
with deep fondness
Michael McClintock, Letters in Time, p. 25
Much like many other of McClintock’s haiku, this tanka illustrates the theme of regret. However, the difference between this tanks and many of his haiku is this one is an example of a more light-hearted spin on his feelings of regret.
In this tanka, he acknowledges he has made mistakes by stating, “a few were right to call me an idiot”. Through this statement he admits responsibility to the outcome of his relationships. However, instead of being overly bitter or angry about the way his life has turned out, he reflects on these women in a positive light.
The reader gets the sense that this writer has experienced a lot in his life, especially in terms of relationships. However, this person is just now reflecting and learning from his experiences. Every person goes through periods of self-reflection. Hopefully these self-reflection periods are productive and serve to teach the person through the many “life lessons”. It seems as though this writer is gaining enlightenment from his memories.
letting sand fall
from my hand
countless suns
Michael McClintock, Letters in Time, p. 11
This Haiku is filled with regret. As the reader, I get a deep sense of a desire to change the past. The writer lets the sand fall from his hands. I interpreted this to mean there were countless instances or things in the writer’s life that he let slip away. However, this is not a single episode of regret in which the writer desired to do one thing over, this is a lifetime of regret indicated by the phrase “countless suns”. Each grain of sand that is allowed to pass through his hands and blow into the wind is representative of one more time the writer did not pay attention to all the “little things” in life.
I truly believe life is composed of a lot of little moments. It is these little moments that add up to complete the equation or “big picture” that is each one of us. When a person has deep regret and continues to let the little moments slip away their equation is unsolved and there picture is smudged or faded. This is another excellent example of McClintock’s ability to pinpoint an emotion and make the reader a part of it. He achieves this through imagery, which allows the reader to focus on the emotions these images evoke.
my head
keeps rising
from the pillow
there is nothing
to hear
Michael McClintock, Letters in Time, p. 20
This tanka brought up mixed emotions for me. Initially when I read it, I got a sense of fear. I imagined a child in bed. The child is convinced he keeps hearing a noise but every time he peaks around their room there is nothing there.
Each squeak and creak of the house he hears brings him closer and closer to terror. He tries to hide under the covers as many children often do. He peaks above the covers to see a shadow cast on the wall. Is that man or isn’t it? He doesn’t wait to find out the answer. He runs as fast as he can into his parents’ room and climbs into bed between the two of them.
The other picture this tanka paints for me is one full of loneliness. I can see a person a lone in bed. He or she keeps hearing what they believe to be another person in the house. They imagine footsteps. Although they long for them to be real they know in their heart that they are simply a figment their heart has fabricated to fill the void. Either way you read this Haiku, one thing is for certain, it is able to elicit strong emotions and trigger memories.
Now I would like to do a comparison of one of Michael McClintock’s Haiku to a Haiku written by Paul David Mena from Snow on the Water: The Red Moon Anthology of English-Language Haiku, published by Red Moon Press in 1999:
speaking with my ex-wife
I break open a peanut
and eat the shell
Paul David Mena, Snow on the Water, p. 63
foolish,
having thought love
would keep us warm:
I chop wood in winter
while you sleep late in Rome
Michael McClintock, Letters in Time, p. 28
I chose to compare these two Haiku because of their similarities more so than their differences. It is clear to me that these two Haiku are speaking of lost love and the regret that goes along with it. Each writer has a unique approach to addressing the regret they feel. In the first Haiku, Mena is uses symbolism to illustrate his mistake by using the action of eating the peanut shell instead of the peanut as just another mistake in front of his ex-wife. However, McClintock uses a much more direct approach foolish he calls himself and the lover when they thought that love would keep them warm together. He is much more direct and to the point. It is more of a journal entry used to illustrate his thoughts through Haiku. Each author is unique, yet the underlying tone of regret is still felt in both.
In conclusion, during my study of Michael McClintock, I learned that I really like his style of prose Haiku writing. I have a hard time relating to some of the other Haiku authors who use a lot of symbolism with nature and metaphors. For me, I tend to prefer the direct approach of McClintock. At times, McClintock is very dark focusing on the issues like loneliness, lost love and regret. However, I tend to appreciate his ability to talk about these issues in such a way that everyone can relate to them. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed studying Michael McClintock and I would have to say he is one of my favorite contemporary Haiku authors.
References:
Mena, Paul David. The Red Moon Anthology of English-Language Haiku: Snow on the Water. Ed. Jim Kacian. Winchester: Red Moon P, 1998.
McClintock, Michael, S.L. Poulter, and Virginia Brady Young. Jesus Leaving Vegas. Milwaukee: Pentagram P, 1976.
McClintock, Michael. Letters in Time: Sixty Short Poems. South Pasadena: Hermitage West, 2005.
McClintock, Michael. Anthology of Days. Ellsworth, ME: Backwoods Broadsides, 2002.
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