Orbit by Megeen R. Mulholland
$13.99
“In Megeen Mulholland’s first chapbook, Orbit, the poems honor the silent work of mothers, poignantly express a child’s grief at the loss of her father, and always grapple with the legacy of family. In the poem “Who Can Say?” the speaker offers this insight (one of many) on the past: “and try to allow our reflections simply to bind and inspire us\ to stand before the query of our own lens\ show future generations\the pose of the past,\leave it to them\to distinguish\one relative\from another,\bestow upon us our names.” All of these poems acknowledge the painful but inevitable passage of time and still bring the dead back. They will stop you, move you, and deliver you.”
–Dr. Mary Lannon, Associate Professor, Nassau Community College
“Through the transformative power of her imagery, Megeen Mulholland explores the beauty in the ordinary and the joy in the familiar. Orbit celebrates the strength of generations of women, from the mother in “Laundry Day” who becomes a creative force while while standing at the “sodden base of the stem of our rotating clothesline” to the “six-months old” daughter in “Orbit” who is seen as “infinitely wise.” Mulholland’s poetry examines the world with the fresh eyes of the child and the maturity of the mother.”
–Linda Scoville, Ph.D., UAlbany
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With Orbit, Megeen Mulholland offers a collection of poems that suggest a wistfulness, weighted by time and infused with love. There are detailed memories of ordinary moments, like so many, that gain significance with distance– “At last, my mother would stand/straight and step back, hands on hips/as if to gain perspective on her creation/drink in the scent of it/and watch the wind/deliver it over/to the sky/with a flourish.” When reading, we share that common pursuit of seeking a connection to a lost loved one, perhaps the path via nature, suggesting that if only indirectly, that connection can still be found, or at least some solace in the attempt—”Breathe it in! Breathe it in! Breathe it all in! Each inhalation/I imagined, took/me higher, up/to Father who/floated far above/his youngest daughter-/awaiting my arrival.” The eponymous “Orbit” provides the sudden realization of relationship’s gravity, the Copernican discovery of the true nature of a child’s celestial sway. I don’t think I’ve ever read or heard a better description of the epiphany of parenthood: “the axis at which/we are aligned-/from where I listen for/from where I look upon/from where I encompass/and try to guide her—/only to suddenly/humbly find, and/gratefully see, as/I am circling her/she is orbiting me.”
–Damon Stewart, Author of Interesting Tales of Other People’s Woe
Description
Orbit
by Megeen R. Mulholland
$13.99, paper
978-1-63534-412-7
2018
Megeen R. Mulholland received her Ph.D. from the University at Albany. She is a graduate of the Master of Arts program in English and Creative Writing at the State University of New York in Binghamton. Dr. Mulholland is Associate Professor at Hudson Valley Community College where she teaches English and serves on the Visiting Writers Committee. On this committee, she co-hosted a poetry reading and engaged in a video-streamed discussion with former Poet Laureate, Billy Collins. Her work has been published in Modern Language Studies, Adanna Literary Journal, Roots and Flowers: Poets Write about Their Families, and Literary Mama: Reading for the Maternally Inclined, among other magazines and anthologies. All of these accomplishments pale in comparison to motherhood.
Kelli Mostert –
It was easy to envision the experiences Megeen described through her use of similes and such fine detail, a testament to her talent. I admired Megeen’s obvious love for her family which was evident in these poems with added heartwarming pictures.