Mike Way was an enthusiastic people’s poet at open mics. He was emphatic and politically engaged, a seeker and yet full of fun.
We started corresponding 6 years ago or so. (He nicknamed me Pearlster. )
He worked contracts for the CRA and as a “writer/editor” for the Canada School of Public Service, a journalistic assignment. In 2017 he wrote profiles of “spotlighted” employees, as well as cover and review “special events” happening at the School, such as “Overcoming Micro-biases and Microaggressions in the Workplace.”
He sent out yearly compendiums of his yearly poetry output, usually in January, except it was in February in 2020. He prefaced with, “I know, I know – this year I’m later than an LRT train in an Ottawa winter at rush hour.” Maybe it was fatigue? He said he walked “1296 KILOMETRES along the Rideau Canal from April 30 – December 5, 2020. Yup – that ain’t no Trumpian typo – it’s the God’s honest truth AND it constitutes a shitload of walking.[…]So how’s that for an interesting saga of being forced into creating something from nothing due to the pandemic? You never know what lofty goal you’re capable of achieving until you actually try.”
In his poem of 2020 called “Life”
Is life reaching for you first?
Are you feeling well-immersed – enough to make it happen?Or is life teaching you the worst
When you’re always seeming cursed – enough to leave you flappin’?Mike Way
Is life screeching for your thirst?
Are you feeling well-rehearsed – enough to stop you nappin’?
He was big on Red Sox baseball and a big skater. In 2019 he logged on the canal a grand total of 443 kms. That year his poems included one of talking with Elders and entering a sweat lodge to” begin confronting his spiritual dearth”.
Being out of the poetry open mic loop myself for a few years, I stopped checking in.
This week news broke that he died of a heart attack.
He started signing off as Ekim Yaw. In January 2021 he sent a round up of his latest poems, including
I want to see you smile
And chase your clouds away
I want to see you happy
And bring sunshine to your day
I want to see you laugh at life
And always come out to play
‘Cause when you smile
I’m happyMike Way, “I want to see you smile”
And when you’re happy
I smile
And as long as we can laugh
There’s no need to ever say “Good-bye.”
Pearl – Thank you so much for your warm memories of Mike. I was saddened to learn of his passing. He was so enthusiastic and full of life. I have great memories of him, especially his larger than life presence at those wonderful Sawdust evenings that Jennifer, Natalie and Liam made possible for us all.