Easy to see why Michael P. Hill's Not Just Passing Through opens
with an epigraph by Ted Kooser. Like Kooser, Hill's poems focus on
observations of life's simpler things -fishing, snowmen, garbage cans, eye
exams - things that can offer great insight and depth when studied. The
reflections, often in the form of a travelogue, are wise and full of wit. A
collection that helps us perceive the world anew, what fine poetry can and
should do. ~Scott Wiggerman
Michael's poems find beauty in everyday life: a bird in the kitchen, a
middle school concert. With equal parts subtlety and wisdom, he weaves
metaphor into the exquisite quotidian happenings we all relate to. The
simplicity of an eye exam beckons the reader to travel back decades, when
the poet's eyes saw life more simply, finishing with an allusion to his
childhood dog, that symbol of unconditional love we all share, and still
yearn for. ~Holly Kelso
In narratives that pendulum between humor, poignancy, and a sweetness
that resists sentimentality, Michael P. Hill's poems never force, push,
or pander-but"urge with a tender heave." Here, you will find a voice
that feels familiar, friendly, and wise - an invitation and guide "pointing
[you] down memory lanes.” " Walk those lanes a while; see them anew.
~Benjamin Cutler
Michael P. Hill is the author of the chapter book
Junk Drawer (Kelsay Books), which was named an
Eric Hoffer Book Award Finalist. His poems have
also appeared in Spillway, Ponder Review, Plainsongs,
Gray's Sporting Journal and Whitefish Review, among
others. He grew up in Western Wisconsin and spent
a number of years in both Texas and Washington
before settling in Northern Colorado, where he lives
with his wife Katheryn, their children Sawyer and
Harmony, and their dogs Harold and River. More
at www.michaelphill.org.
