The Book of Muses

If ever there was a poet with her finger on the pulse of creation, it's Judith Sornberger. In sumptuous lyrical poems, The Book of Muses invites us to open the door (or the window or our hearts) and welcome the muse in her many guises as she reveals the inspiration and magic all around us. For this whimsical and wise poet, the muse is the ultimate shapeshifter, manifesting as a rose-breasted grosbeak that puts you back in touch with your oldest wound, a goldfinch reclaiming its brightness, a turtle laying her eggs, a garter snake shedding its skin, or the black bear "perched like Buddha / on the wooded hill / behind your house." She can spring from a work of art or pedal up behind you on the bike path with "silver bangles ringing at her wrist / like the bell on your first bike." She returns you to childhood, "recit[ing] jump rope rhymes into your sleep." She might appear as a witch or a mermaid "who becomes your guide / to leaping between worlds." However she appears, the muse brings the very gifts you need. She might even bring you "the map of a new beginning." Take the advice given in one poem and prepare to "surrender to the enchantment" of this beautiful and celebratory book.