Today on the blog I am reviewing Disintegration (Published June 4th 2020) By Paul Robert Mullen and Happy Publication day! A big thank you to the publishers Animal Heart Press for my copy to review, always appreciated.
Disintegration
In this heartbreaking chapbook of poems, Paul Robert Mullen charts the demise of relationships through the windows of loss. He navigates from the aching moments of realisation through the crushing introspection that follows, and into a gentle state of acceptance. These words find the delicate heart of our pain and the sensation of cracking apart that comes with losing those we love, and how we can catalogue our grief until we find a place from which we can finally let go.
About The Author
Paul Robert Mullen was born in Southport, near Liverpool, England, in 1982. He is a writer, musician, and University Lecturer, currently living and working in Nanning, Guangxi, China. His poetry has been widely published in a variety of literary journals, magazines and e-zines.
My Review
Mullen’s poetry follows the passing of relationships like ships bound for new horizons on the unknown sea. The end of a relationship tends to be a bleak and depressing part of life. All the happy memories are looked back upon as lies and the whole affair suddenly becomes disjointed.
There are many stages our emotions trudge through in the midst of a breakup, grief, denial, anger and acceptance are just to name a few. Mullen portrays these painful moments in his poetry with calming imagery set to nature’s soundtrack. I could hear the wind chimes gently swaying in the breeze and feel the burden of loss that Mullen carried throughout these poems. It’s relatable to read as I am sure we have all suffered the loss of a relationship. It’s tricky to put into words how it feels. But Mullen’s writing is effortless as he glides over the page from realisation of his loss all the way through to acceptance and feeling alive again. It comes naturally to him like breathing and it is intriguing to read.
The layout of the poems reflects the title of the chapbook; Disintegration. The prose are spaced apart giving the reader that absent feeling you experience with loss. It’s effective as you can go through the motions of falling apart and slowly putting yourself back to together. This technique also gives these poems that uniqueness as not only are they about disintegration but they physically embody the very meaning of the word. Genius and cleverly done.
I enjoyed Mullen’s use of imagery as he plays with nature and incorporates this in his poetry. The sounds of life happening around him and the tiny details people often miss enhance his version upon the page. Amongst the pain and suffering he concocts a calming atmosphere that absorbs the reader into these personal moments. At times it felt intrusive but you are constantly pulled back in as you are curious to how this journey will end.
I give Disintegration By Paul Robert Mullen a four out of five paw rating.
An emotional read of the grieving of relationships that will leave you disintegrated. I highly recommend this chapbook to everyone, it is appealing to all and will leave you in a state of acceptance to let go of a past you no longer live in.
Links
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