Max’s Musings: David Guterson

Where do poets turn to for inspiration?

For this week, I wanted to choose a poet whose roots lie in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. David Guterson, a Seattle native with decades of hiking experience, published Turn Around Time in 2019. Guterson describes Turn Around Time as “a waking poem for the Pacific Northwest,” as the collection is full of poems with nature-enriched imagery paired with Washington artist Justin Gibben’s illustrations. 

In the introduction of Turn Around Time, Guterson proclaims: “This poem means to participate, is all. You can put it in your pack while adding no weight, as something you might pull out when the time is ripe.” His collection offers lessons on the balance between reaching one’s destination while knowing when to give up and return to the start. With many astounding contenders for discussion, I landed on delving deeper into the first six stanzas of Guterson’s poem “The Poets”:

Whatever we say we’ll put away

as trail’s put away:

already that’s behind me

even if I elide or stet;

it can’t be done again or undone

 

to a consummate period.

And anyway it’s time to leave all talk behind

and climb steep flanks unsheltered.

We’re ready for them now.

We’ve walked in blasts before,

 

and will not ask this latest rain

to stop or falter.

We’ve got it down our necks again

and dry our tears with it and go on walking.

We’ve got a stream to cross, a copse,

 

a bench of moonlight hemlock.

We’ve seen the fox up here,

the loon, the bobcat.

They’re all apocryphal.

They come and go but not as we do.

 

They do not have our view of it–

whatever you call it

walking out or walking back,

propelled, returning.

I see myself overserving every step

as if a tragedy’s unfolding;

both are of my painting.

I say the words, I drive creation,

I make a downhill run

while gaining elevation.

Guterson uses the physical act of hiking as a stand-in for life. More than just physical, the act of hiking supersedes the physical limitations and elicits an emotional, spiritual, and metaphorical transformation. You can only hike a trail for the first time once. Life is the same way.

Once one tracks the trail, they can’t unsee nature’s beauty. People are constantly changing and evolving. They are not the same people who set off on the adventure. They are not the same people who reach their destination.

Just like its distinct beauty, nature is full of obstacles, as with the rain in the poem. Yet the speaker doesn’t let that stop them from propelling themselves forward. In fact, they take the rain as a blessing rather than an inconvenience. Obstacles may prolong the adventure but also heighten it as well. The speaker takes inspiration from both sides of the same journey.

Illustration by Justin Gibbens inside Guterson’s Turn Around Time / The Evergreen Echo

A traveler can always prepare for their adventure, but they cannot prepare for everything. Yet, one’s fear of the unknown should not stop them from starting the adventure in the first place. Living a fulfilled life can start with nature.  

The poem highlights the importance of observation. As poets and artists, we constantly observe the world around us. Poetry and art are the ways creatives learn to understand. The speaker discusses how he observes the array of steps along their journey to create something beautiful out of it. Whether they ascend a peak or decline down in a valley, the journey offers inspiration for said poet’s creation. Both the blessings and the burdens of the journey offer insight and inspiration on life carried on through the poetry left behind.

Growing up, I didn’t do a lot of camping or hiking. It wasn’t until I met my fiancé that I found a need to immerse myself in nature. Especially when people live in a world of technology and electronic devices, letting oneself dissociate and reflect in nature is essential to revitalize one’s mind. This also reminds me why we moved to Seattle: He, more than I, was always drawn to Seattle even before we met.

In addition, nature helps sooth my creative spirit. Nature works as a celestial muse that aids in producing the richest poetry. Most of what I write lately has been after a walk or some outdoor activity. I find that writing poetry infused with natural imagery shows nature’s diversity, just like poetry. Whenever I suffer from writer’s block, immersing myself in nature tends to be the cure.

Nature itself is poetic and awe-inspiring. Will you listen for it?