Clayton Beach: “Some psychological models describe consciousness as an extended metaphor for reality, using the substrate of language. If that is the case, then poetry is the crucible where human consciousness is expanded through alchemical manipulations of the word—for poetry is always expanding language through the deepening of metaphors and through the playful stretching of sense and meaning. I started writing poetry, like many, for emotional catharsis as a teen. Over the years I have found in poetry the delight of playing with the music of pure language and the joy of exploring both inner and outer worlds through the magic of metaphor. Haiku and the related forms—with their intense sense of interiority, focus on linguistic play, and deep connection between the perceiving self and the external universe—have been a central part of my poetic journey, and my engagement with Japanese language poetry is a constant inspiration.” (web)
