When the Light Is Mine Book Review
I was very excited to get a review copy of When the Light Is Mine. I have read other books by this author and I’m also a big fan of poetry, so I was eager to dive in. I want to say first off, that it did not disappoint! It is the author’s first book of poetry, and it comes in strong.
When the Light Is Mine: Poetry for the People by Chaz Holesworth is a blast of raw lightning that goes directly to the nervous system. It’s not a collection to be sipped peacefully with tea. It’s a raw manifesto for anyone who has ever raged, doubted, or dreamed. It begins with an introduction telling you who the author is and why he wrote this book. He explains how, why, and when he wrote these poems over a series of years. And he tells us why he’s sharing with us now.
Holesworth doesn’t shy away from unpleasant conversation or consoling clichés. He fills the page with verses that reveal the hypocrisies of capitalism, the fragile certainty of organized religion, and the minor injustices we accept on a daily basis.
The urgency is evident from the opening lines. It has an improvised yet precise stream-of-consciousness rhythm that is half confession and half battle cry. In “The Ghost of My Personality in a Cookie Cutter Shape,” Holesworth offers a scathing critique of influencer culture and reality smoke machines, while in “Condescending Towards the Midas Touch,” he mocks the idea of unending growth and “clingy kings” counting pennies in the skies. It reads like grenade-like facts from the belly.
However, there is a startling compassion hidden beneath the anger and scathing humor. The poems “New Beat” and “Sarah is Great and I Love Her, Silly Rabbits” show a poet who, although being wounded by disappointment, still believes in connection. Here, love isn’t sweet; it’s brittle, essential, and deserving of a fight. The final poems provide glimpses of resiliency – moments where darkness gives way to light – while softening the edges without giving up the struggle.
Holesworth’s upbringing in an environment of poverty, drugs, and fundamentalism lends these poems their unwavering candor. He writes about suffering because he has experienced it himself. That genuineness lends sympathy to even the harshest criticisms. As a result, readers who have been turned off by slick, performance poems will find resonance in this anthology. It’s poetry that breathes and bleeds.
“When the Light Is Mine” is not limited to experienced poetry readers. It’s for everyone who has ever felt angry at unfairness, questioned their value, or wished for something better. Holesworth demonstrates that even in the midst of disappointment and hopelessness, beauty, humor, and the tenacious glimmer of hope may exist.
By the last page, his query remains unanswered: What will you see when you finally get the light?
A must-read for modern poetry fans and sure to be a classic that stands the test of time. I really enjoyed it. You can find it on Amazon in paperback, audiobook, Kindle, and Kindle Unlimited.