Publisher's Synopsis
Poetry professors and critics may judge poems by such metrics as rhyme, rhythm, meter, and form but what most people demand of the poetry that they read is that its content be inspired.
A poet lives for inspiration. He cannot crank it out like an organ grinder, and he can't control it. He cannot tell when it will come or whether it will come. If it does come, he cannot tell you why it came just then or how long it will stay.
Greek mythology ascribes inspiration to the Muses, elusive goddesses of the arts and sciences. If you look for them you will not find them but, if you are worthy, one might find you. They can turn up in the strangest places: a concert hall, a museum, a forest, or a pub.
Some of the poems are about the Muses whom Mike has encountered during his meanderings through reality and imagination, poems like "Want Ad", in which the poet publishes an advertisement for a Muse in a local newspaper, "Seducing the Muse", who poses for the poet, and "The Muse", about how she found the poet each time in a different form.
Some of the poems are the fruits of Mike's inspiration, like "Life Takes Small Steps", "How Could We Not Write Poetry?", or "A Dew Drop on a Whippoorwill's Wing".
"What's a Nice Muse like You Doing in a Place like This?" is Mike's seventh book of poetry.
