Running Out the Clock

Laurence Steven is Chairman of the English Department at Laurentian
University and author of Dissociation and Wholeness in Patrick White’s
Fiction.

Souster’s latest poetry collection is a solid and consistent one that
reflects an earlier era of Canadian poetry. Occasionally, Souster seems
lost in the past, unable to move ahead with the times. For the most
part, the poet is not developing his vision and style, but is simply
looking to his past for sources of inspiration.

Souster’s vivid images often complement his rather narrative style.
While there seems to be no unifying theme running through the
collection, there is a definite tone of nostalgia and reminiscence (many
poems are devoted to describing the poet’s early years). Souster
practically admits his own fascination with the past. In “Poetry is
Singing,” he describes poetry as “writing down a song, / something
you’ve forgotten / for much too long.” In “Caird’s
Confectionery,” he contrasts the past and the present, finishing it
off with a well-positioned bit of wit.

The collection’s themes range from Canadian wildlife to politics and
history. The war poems are the most striking, the sharp imagery
transporting readers into the past. Most memorable of these are “The
Last Gunner Down the Arras Road,” “LMF,” “Remembrance Day,
1987,” and “Pictures From a Long-Lost World: Sergeant MacDougall of
the York Volunteers, Fenian Raids, 1866.”

The poems in this diverse collection tend to reflect Souster’s
personal convictions about democracy, peace, Canada, and the
environment. The title gives a definite sense that Souster is, at the
age of 70, reviewing his life.