The soldiers’ poet: Spc. Kunta K. Mackin evokes soldiers’ emotions through poetry

Photo By Spc. Brittany Gardner | Spc. Kunta K. Mackin, a medevac operations specialist for the 36th Infantry Division surgeon section, writes down his thoughts throughout the day in hopes of creating a poem later.  

BASRA, IRAQ

07.08.2011

Story by Spc. Brittany Gardner 

362nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BASRAH, Iraq – A warrior is defined as a person who shows great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness. These words are not typically associated with poetry, but Spc. Kunta K. Mackin brings them all together in a way that illustrates the true definition of a poet.

He is a soldier with the gift of thought, imagination, creation, and the eloquence of expression.

Mackin, a Harrisburg, N.C., native, said he’s been writing poetry as an outlet for his thoughts and frustrations for almost 23 years.

“I was in the fourth grade and we were having a Christmas party,” Mackin said with a grin. “Everybody had their different kinds of music that they listened to. Me and my best friend were the only black kids in our class. So, you know, we didn’t listen to AC/DC, White Snake, or stuff like that. So we went to the back of the class and were like, ‘Man, we’re going to write a rap.’ I was like, ‘A rap? I don’t know how to write a rap’. He said ‘All you got to do is write a line and make sure that they both have rhyming words at the end. Okay, cool.’ So, we did that.”

The boys’ fourth grade teacher enjoyed their performance so much that she made them do it for every class on their hall and at every holiday party, Mackin explained.

“I just started doing poetry from there,” Mackin said. “I like rap music, but at the same time, you know, that wasn’t really my thing. I like poetry. I came up in a household where my dad was a soft-hearted person. You know, my dad was like 6’4” and about 290 pounds. He was a gentle giant and I inherited that from him.”

Mackin, a medevac operations specialist for the 36th Infantry Division surgeon section, had never read his poems aloud until he deployed here. He now reads his poetry about typically uncomfortable topics every two weeks at the poetry jam here, which was put together by Soldiers with many different talents.

“Every time I go up there I have butterflies in my stomach,” Mackin said. “I write about issues that come up in society nowadays and issues that people really don’t want to talk about or they like to side-step. People don’t like to talk about religion, politics and they don’t like to talk about themselves. And I talk about all of those things.”

Mackin now reads his poetry to evoke emotion from his listeners. He wants to help soldiers, which is why he joined the Texas Army National Guard in the first place, he said.

“If I get a reaction,” said Mackin, “no matter if it’s positive or negative, I’ve done my job. That’s another form of healing.”

“Letter to the Pedophile” is a poem Mackin wrote about his feelings on sexual abuse. He wrote it after learning that someone close to him had gone through it. Mackin wrote the poem in the form of a letter addressed to the person who hurt his loved one. Before performing it at the poetry jam, Mackin read it to his friend and mentor, Capt. James A. Johnson, 36th Inf. Div. operations research systems analyst.

Johnson said the way the poem was written hit a nerve within him because he too knew someone who had been through the pain of sexual abuse.

“He not only acknowledged what that person did,” said Johnson, “but then he went on to challenge that person to even be better. He was actually, in the end, showing love toward that person because he wanted them to be better and learn from it so nobody else has to go through these things.”

Mackin derives inspiration for his poetry from the other performers at the poetry jam, every aspect of his life, and the observations he makes of other’s lives, he said. He has been working as a director of operations for a substance abuse center in Texas since 2008.

“That’s also where I get a lot of my inspiration,” said Mackin. “Some people grew up on the rough side of town and didn’t have certain things in life that a lot of people take for granted. Then you have some people that grew up with everything but they just made poor decisions and had some bad luck along the way. No matter if you’re up here or down here, a few bad choices will put y’all at the same level.”

Helping people is the motivation for everything Mackin does, whether at his civilian job, as a soldier, or writing poetry, he said. His wife of almost five years, Jennifer, likes his poems but thinks he should write more about God, Mackin said.

“I’m like, you know what,” Mackin said with a laugh, “God is in everything. God is in every single poem that I do, whether it’s a positive poem or a negative poem.”

Johnson said Mackin is a kind spirit with the gift to write poetry that moves and touches people. No matter the day or time, Mackin always wears a smile on his face, he said.

“When you see him,” Johnson said, “you never know what’s really going on with him because some days he may be having a bad day. But he knows that God calls us to smile and be a light to other people. So you can’t sit there and feel sorry for yourself. Man, Mackin is always smiling. If he can do it, I can do it.”

• Date Taken: 07.08.2011
• Date Posted: 07.14.2011 04:29
• Story ID: 73699
• Location: BASRA, IQ