"I don't think that any of my poems need an introduction." I get most enjoyment from listening to a poet talk about the written work and the work in progress: why a poem was written, the spark that ignited the vision, the snatch of overheard conversation, the incident that retrieves a past memory, the choice of words and imagery, the simple scene transformed, the need to be a witness. _____________________________________ AWAKENING by Pat Mullan "Awakening is a collection of mostly anecdotal poems from incidences in the varied and interesting life of Pat Mullan, the Irish, sometimes American, poet from Connemara. Some of these poems charm the pants off you, as a leprechaun might if the pockets of the pants were filled with gold. I'm thinking of "Reincarnation," where a tobacco-puffing sea captain may have returned as a wagtail named Perky. And some of them awaken you to the heavy realities of the Twentieth Century and beyond. Here I'm thinking of "Uijongbu," with its Korean setting and Boots, Boots, Boots tramping the reaches of empire. "Uijongbu" is particularly interesting for the rhythmic prosody of its free verse. Indeed, most of these poems are in free verse, expressive, almost conversational, but with an Irish lilt in the voice. Awakening is filled with very sharable poems. They display the serious mind and generous personality of a poet worth spending time with. Enjoying many a few with Pat Mullan would make for an interesting and poetic afternoon. After such an afternoon, I should undoubtedly wish for another, as I also anticipate PM's next collection of poems." E.M. Schorb E.M.Schorb, award winning author and poet: winner of The Frankfurt Grand Prize in fiction for his novel, Paradise Square; 1973 International Keats Poetry Prize; Verna Emery Poetry Prize for Murderer's Day, his fourth collection of poetry (Purdue University Press). E. M. Schorb's new novel, Fortune Island, was published in June 2009.