When the Light is Mine by Chaz Holesworth
When the Light is Mine
Chaz Holesworth
Independently published (2025)
B0FQ2MKKS9
Reviewed by Jordan Waterwash for Reader Views (10/2025)
https://readerviews.com/reviews/when-the-light-is-mine-holesworth/
5/5
When the Light is Mine by Chaz Holesworth covers a variety of themes, but most of all the lyrical poems speak to the injustices in our world. Each poem shows the deep passion of Holesworth; it’s clear social injustice, hypocrisy in the church, and government overreach are highly important to Holesworth. Because of the visible passion and anger in each page, the reader can’t help but feel that emotion themselves. This makes When the Light is Mine an exceptional collection of poetry. When a poetry collection can impart a feeling on the reader, it has done its job successfully.
The poems generally follow a free verse style with some rhyming, though the rhymes are not always consistent; however, that does not take away from the style or reading experience. Holesworth himself mentions in the “Introduction” that he tends to lean toward lyrical poetry with a stream-of-consciousness style. The overall craft of each poem feels intentional even if they do not follow traditional poetic conventions. The passion and themes are what propels these poems, and readers who wish to dig deeper into their own understanding of current events will appreciate that choice.
For readers who are looking for a lighter read, this is likely not the best choice—the intensity and raw emotion provokes profound contemplation. Holesworth explores explicit themes through powerful language and imagery. Sex, mental health, and religion are all discussed in tandem. For Holesworth, and many others, these topics are closely intertwined; to address one, one usually must address the others. Each section in the collection covers aspects of these three motifs, and echoes of them are present throughout. I enjoyed the raw statements and comparisons made. The reading experience felt heavy, which seemed to be the intention.
To summarize, readers will appreciate the honesty, raw emotion, and passionate language present throughout When the Light is Mine. While the poems tended toward stream-of-consciousness, they were still impactful and poignant. The topics covered reveal insights into Holesworth’s inner world while maintaining relatability; there are many people who have faced injustice at the hands of the government, church, or society, and readers looking for some catharsis in that regard will thoroughly enjoy the poems in this collection.
