The dichotomy of body and spirit is precisely the wreck into which this remarkable debut collection by Mark Wunderlich wishes to dive. One feels, however, that were Mr. Wunderlich forced to choose, he would elect the body--and has; but it is out of his unflinching determination to explore the "rule" of the body and to be its postulant that Mr. Wunderlich creates this collection's exquisite tension. Hovering throughout is a longing, if not for the divine, then the ecstatic. Mr. Wunderlich's poems explore the powerful spheres of intuitive, sexual and spiritual knowing--playgrounds for the body's birds-of-paradise and spiritual harness--and do so with remarkable eloquence of feeling. The University of Massachusetts Press has done a masterful job of production on this debut volume. As such, this collection is as much a delight to hold in the hand as it is to read.

I heard so much talk about this book, I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to find these poems speaking to me in simple but yet intellectual tones. They are easy to read but yet so deep in feeling; depressing at times, but so true to life. Especially "Fourteen Things" which was a deeply personal poem to me. I never expected to read about a personal friend of mine (Ron)in this book by this author. It brought back many wonderful memories of the friendship we shared so many years ago. If you want to read "Poems" that speak to the heart be sure and read this book. Hopefully, we will hear from Mark Wunderlich a lot more in the near future. Looking forward to it.

Mark Wunderlich has written an astonishing collection that explores, among other things, loneliness, deprivation, and desire--of the body and of the spirit. The poems are informed by a sad, wise voice like nothing I've heard before. Maybe that's because Mr Wunderlich seems to recognize that poetry can take language to new levels without leaving the reader behind. In every poem he builds a connection between speaker and reader, between the one and the many. This connection, for me, is most pronounced in the prose poems, particularly "This Heat, These Human Forms" and "Chapel of the Miraculous Medal." While revealing a heart and mind unlike my own, these poems clarify my sense of what it means to be a human being--part spirit, part body--living for a short time in the world. American contemporary poetry would be diminished without this collection. We can all thank Mr Wunderlich for creating something so wise and original, so necessary.