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Somewhere to Follow: Poems by Paul J. Willis (review)

2022; SAGE Publishing; Volume: 71; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1353/chy.2022.0059

2056-5666

Archaeology and Natural History

Reviewed by: Somewhere to Follow: Poems by Paul J. Willis Mark D. Bennion Somewhere to Follow: Poems. By Paul J. Willis. Eugene, OR: Slant, 2022. ISBN 1-7252-5695-8. Pp. 112. $12.00. In his latest poetry collection, Paul J. Willis invites us into the worlds of both past and present. Willis implicitly urges us—by means of various reminiscences and wilderness treks—to consider what narratives and landscapes have shaped him and by extension those moments that have forged us into who we are today. I admit that I am a relative newcomer to Paul J. Willis's work. Nonetheless, in my brief and engaging foray into it, I feel like I have just eaten lunch with an old friend who has regaled me with his formative experiences in clear, precise language. Willis's most recent book, Somewhere to Follow: Poems, divides into four sections: Then, Now, Near, and Far. While the section titles appear to be opposites, Willis's range pulls the sections together in ways that feel personal and universal. His poems delineate the nuances accompanying any journey. An arduous hike or a stroll through the woods becomes both recreational and revelatory. Each journey veers into something atypical. The opening section of the title poem reads, No one knows where this trail goes.No sign at the trailhead lists the miles,the destinations. No map is markedwith a dotted line. And yet the pathappears at your feet, disappearsbetween two trees, an invisible door. (1) Such a description may seem daunting or strange, yet the poem and the book prompt us to think of trekking in unusual ways. What might we discover, say, if we hike in the San Rafael Wilderness without a map or even signposts? What emblems of truth appear when we return to a childhood experience and crack it open anew? How do our stories echo the mythological and symbolic, and when are our tales simply reflections that don't draw attention to the well of meaning? Willis opens windows onto his childhood, his teaching, the natural world, and spirituality. There is the avuncular in his narratives and lyrics—something akin to FDR's fireside chats or the Scoutmaster's Minute at a troop meeting. I confess that I sometimes dread the Scoutmaster's Minute because said scoutmaster takes more than a minute to share canned, staid advice. He often tries to sound eloquent but fails. The speech comes across affected and labored. Willis's minutes, though, are far from tired and hackneyed. They exude an objective, honest vulnerability. They greet without [End Page 620] trying to be something they are not. The diction is natural without being predictable, warm without being syrupy. Here we learn how his brother lost his fingers and feet on an expedition to Denali. The fact is mentioned as much to provide context as it is to garner our sympathy ("When I Got Back"). In another poem, we hear his mother quote scripture and testify of Christ's grace to Jehovah Witness missionaries who have come to share their good news ("By Grace are Ye Saved"). What might have been seen as a Sunday School lesson or biblical bash becomes a moment of relief as the narrator feels saved by his mother for answering the door. Humor appears throughout this collection. Humor at the dinner table, around the campfire, and sailing down the halls of the academy abound in Willis's verse. As he recounts his first teaching post, in an effort to be the dutiful professor, he pens comment after comment on a student's essay. Willis's mentor then quips, "Son, you're putting chrome / wheels on a manure spreader" (23). Several poems contain these one-line, laugh-out-loud moments. There is effortlessness here—especially when it comes to humor—or I should say the poems feel effortless (even though I know better). It is hard to write humor and do it well. Willis makes it look easy. Moreover, the humorous, homespun feeling lacks veneer. In other words, his lines are without pretension. Yes, there is a persona in each poem, but it's a voice we can trust, one who uses language...