The Smell of the Light - A Review
Dulce et Decorum non Est …
Bill McCloud's iconic collection of poetry in his book, The Smell of the Light, will engulf the reader in a war of conflicting thoughts and emotions. The poems are based on fifty-two letters that Bill wrote home while he was in Vietnam. We become traveling companions with Bill as he engages us in this mind-manifesting odyssey to Vietnam. Bill shares with us his humanity as he describes the unimaginable horrors of war and the tedious quotidian routine of life in the Army.
Bill paints his images in visuals that are relatable and easy to conjure up in your mind. In his poem 'Peace,' he takes a common peace symbol and turns it into an ironic metaphor about the military's outlook on peace in a time of war. Essentially, someone steals a peace symbol from his locker, and he searches everywhere for the missing jewelry. He concludes:
'I figured he'd be pretty easy to spot
But I never saw a soldier
Advertising for peace
At Fort Gordon Georgia'
'Peace' is beautifully written verse that leaves interpretation of the tongue-in-cheek conclusion up to the reader.
This collection of poetry about the war in Vietnam pokes rapid-fire holes in the enduring myth that war is somehow a 'glorious' thing, like a machine gun with a cardboard target. In 'April Fool's,' Bill explains why he no longer celebrates April Fool's Day. Again, Bill takes an ordinary object, April Fool's Day, and reveals to us a whole new way of looking at it. The reader's perceptions are forever altered. On April first of each year I have left in this life, I will think of the cruelty and dark humor soldiers in combat use to hide their frailties and sense of humanity. I will also contemplate how fortunate I am to be able to read this insightful poetry by a soldier who not only maintained his humanity in war but was able to share with us a small slice of his soul.
These poems are a reflection of a young man's life laid out on a continuum we call space and time. Bill's journey of self-discovery and finding meaning in his life, in his surreal surroundings, mirror Bill's heart and humanity. His very soul. Of all of Bill's poems, I grew most attached to 'Eating Glass.' I sought Bill's permission to use it in my novel, Boot: A Sorta Novel of Vietnam, because it symbolized the difficulty of understanding and articulating human emotion. (You can read the poem here). I was so enamored of Bill's poetry that I asked for six more poems, and he graciously acceded to my request.
David Willson, who writes Book Reviews for the Vietnam Veterans of America, said, "This book of Vietnam War poetry sits very near the top of the heap." David, I agree with you one hundred percent. I highly recommend this book.
