"This poet takes other people’s lives as seriously as he takes his own, and so, under his patient, unwavering, sympathetic gaze, they come to life in the poems, in all their perplexity and distress, courage and dignity, fully realized in a fully realized landscape. This is a remarkably beautiful book."—David Ferry, author of Of No Country I Know
Description
Greg Miller’s latest volume of poetry, Now and Then Here and Now, combines everyday Kentucky with English churchmen, and avant-garde French poets. In a collection that is both personal and political, Miller offers quietly meditative lyrics that ponder the human spirit’s diabolical and divine tendencies.
“Down on the Farm”
Poetry now? They sneer at history:
bean counters, syllable dribblers, the hacks!—
belles-lettristic meretricious schlock!
True enough. Each cow finds its manger-trough
to feed at during the morning milking hour,
the slats locked to pin narrow necks, the milk
slurped and clocked to cool in bulk tanks.
They know what matters, and the future’s theirs.
Their juniors may well scratch their itchy ears,
but poetry? Hauled bawling in trailer trucks,
to market, tender formula-fed veal?
For fame, Big bucks? This poetry biz sucks.
About the Author
Greg Miller is professor emeritus of English at Millsaps College in Mississippi. He is the author of several poetry collections including Iron Wheel and Rib Cage.
November 2022