Reviewed by CJ Heck 1/5/2007

“Prisms In A Looking Glass”
A book review by CJ Heck

Dainty pink flowers and green leaves grace an off-white background. This subtly surrounds an old-worldly Victorian photograph of a comfy, cushioned white wicker chair and a beautiful antique white framed mirror. I was bewitched from the moment I first laid eyes on the cover, and before I read a single page. You must own this book ...

At first glance, it’s a book of poetry, but it’s so much more -- “Prisms In A Looking Glass” is a journey that will unlock your soul.

This talented author, Michelle Close Mills, is at times delightfully playful (“Slumber” and “Bard for a Bird“), and at times, outrageously hysterical, as in one of my particular favorites, “Land of Lost Socks” --

“… What does a sock
do when away
from his shoes,
and new to the
singles scene?
He parties hard
and hits on
the other socks on the run …”

Mills is also no stranger to the profound. You might want to have a box of tissues nearby for she knows just how to touch your heart. Her more serious poetry filled me with a lovely sense of nostalgia (”Until You” and “Fly Little Bird, Fly”), and I was touched by an abiding love of family so captivating that in several instances, it made me cry (“The Secret”, “The Void”, “Layers” and “A Place Where Grandmas Go“).

In this wonderful first book, Mills covers every emotional dimension through her expert use of metaphor (“A Duck’s Life”) and when used, a perfect rhyme and meter (“For the Love of Summer“). Her brilliant insight is well-targeted, her introspection both powerful and honest, and I am certain you’ll be as enchanted as I was from the very first page. I give this delightful book 5 stars.
~CJ Heck
Author of "Barking Spiders and Other Such Stuff"

Reviewed by C. J. Stevens 10/13/2006

PRISMS IN A LOOKING GLASS by Michelle Close Mills

The delightful artistic cover invites the reader to delve into
this superb collection of poems.
Each page surprises us with a new adventure of the spirit, and
each is a celebration of words.

On a soft
country night...
embracing, and calm,
when it seemed
possible to
pluck twinkling
stars from the sky,
flames of promise
burned bright,
fanned by
trade winds of hope
and a dreamer's
journey began...

In her Prisms In A Looking Glass, Michelle Close Mills reaches
out and embraces family, friends, the world as it has been - and
the ordinary which becomes beautiful as it chases her hand.

It's often been said
simple pleasures
are best...
Like an ermine soft
kitten that purrs in my
ear,or a crystalline pool
on a hot summer day...
A mockingbirds's song
as the day
melts into dusk...

Love, nature, nostalgia, wisdom, reflections on our time,
humor - this is a garden of many flowers, and a joy to dwell in.

C. J. Stevens

Wonderful! Congratulations on your new book.

Chrissy McVay author of Souls of the North Wind

Lovely, poignant, touching. "The World We Know" is a gem!
Your heart, mind, and soul tell it like it is, with a bittersweet smile that knows. Excellent work, Michelle. Congratulations! Jerelyn Craden, author of the new hit novel: Vessie Flamingo Outshining the Moon - A Tale of Self-Mastery and Love

A realistic look at a journey through life and with its trails and tribulations. It captures the essence of a woman, her thoughts, feelings, and coming of age. MaryGrace Patterson

If quality is your demand in poetry, then this is the collection for you. Michelle Close Mills writes from her heart, with the ability to have you searching your own.

Phillip William Allen - poet/author of "Words to Dream and Ponder"

'Prisms In a Looking Glass' is a very intriguing treat, and truthfully captures the real meaning of the holiday spirit - which is LOVE! Filled with personal childhood memories I am sure many of us will relate to, this selection of poetry will also conjure up our own fond family memories, especially the memories I hold dear of my own Grandmother. 'Prisms' also features beautiful pictures and artwork that bring her words to brilliant life, and also passionate writings which reflect personal views on many aspects of life and the human condition. This collection is truly a treat, and it's an honor that it graces my nightstand - and my heart.


RM Green, author of the novel 'SHE COULD HEAR THE SILENCE'