The title Muir’s Montage is derived from the fact that when he read his poetry in coffee houses in the 60’s (especially @ the Thirsty Ear in Morristown NJ) he used the nom de plume Alexander Muir because Jack Miller seemed so commonplace. The early poems were heavily influence by his drug & alcohol abuse. The later poems deal with the intricacies of relationships & lost & unrequited love. Although an agnostic he believes there is a power for good in the universe. When you try to do good you get help. Where that help comes from is open for debate. Words are the “Arcanum Arcanum.” He believes there is a hidden dimension to words and word meanings and derivations hold many mysteries and in that occult dimension lies a mystical significance. Before the accelerating expansion of the universe was known it was believed that at some point the expansion would end and gravity (Sidera mordax) would cause the Cosmos to contract to its starting point in a “Big Crunch.” Although the poetry is quite dark the author strives to remain optimistic. The central theme in the poetry is that of survival. You can only escape thepain of living by deadening the senses with drugs & alcohol and this only works for a relatively short time. Then you must face everything. There is no escape from yourself.