<p>Milton J. Bates&rsquo;s poetry collection <em>Stand Still in the Light</em> opens with an evocation of place capturing the people animals and rugged landscapes of Michigan&rsquo;s Upper Peninsula. Other sections of the book delve into the author&rsquo;s past in particular his experiences as a soldier in Vietnam. The war poems were chosen as the runner-up for the Peter Meinke Prize when published separately in 2018.</p>