Petals of the Moon: A Poetry Collection

For those of us who read a lot of poetry, there is such a variety of styles unbeknownst to those who are not accustomed to the nuances and breadth a poet may employ. You cannot therefore, talk of all poetry, or all poets, without distinguishing the style of a poet which may change from book to book era to era. C Churchill’s collection Petals of the Moon is as you may expect, a soft, whispering amuse bouche of feelings and insights, set against some stark and extremely beautiful images. My first impression was to be reminded of the enduring value and necessity of design and beauty in collections of poetry. So often this is forgotten in the indie market, maybe due to cost or inability to find good design. Design alone, marks Petals of the Moon as a necessary addition to your poetry collection. The author has considered the impact the book itself will make on the reader, she’s taken the time and effort to really walk through your experience beforehand and ensure you are guided to the poignant and powerful imagery and emotions possible in a beautifully designed book. Like a few of her contemporaries, Churchill puts her titles at the end of the poem, as a ‘last word’ which has great potency when reading. Instead of a title it’s part of the poem, and speaks to the overall purpose whilst also reminding you of the core. Equally, Churchill employs the idea of a word or more, having an especial role as signifier of the poet’s truth. Just one word can say so much, and this is an art increasingly being utilized online in forums such as IG and FB where shorter more intense poetry is eclipsing longer forms. While I personally prefer longer poetry, I have grown to appreciate the shorter form in this era of immediacy and social media. It fits well and the images here, remind me of successful posts that are widely shared online and become almost, daily mantras. But this is not all Churchill is capable of. In her poem Stubborn, she proves herself quite superb as a versatile and potent voice with chilling lines like; “I have been calloused / beyond a labor life / hardened beyond acceptable / my walls a labyrinth / no seeker has yet found.” This spoke to me intensely as a mantra for women of our time, and the depth of strength necessary to keep going forward. I found it both insightful and hauntingly simple, which is often at the core of any capable writer. A writer who wears their heart on their sleeve in a smart way, is always going to attract me, because it may appear easy, but to achieve successfully, requires a great deal of nuance and understanding of form and word play. When Churchill says; “We are all monsters / We are all saints / Maybe that is everyone’s fate.” (nonexclusive) There is such a clarity to something deep and impossible to describe it stays with you long after reading. The title is such a clever play on words, and echoes the irony of our experience(s) without having to spell it out and it is this ability with few words I appreciate and envy. Churchill uses this mode of straight-talk with underlying meaning throughout, juxtaposed with gorgeous moon imagery and selected two-line poems, that go underneath your skin and remain as mantra in your soul. Her quiet urgency and alacrity are not to be overlooked, for she knows how to pick apart a subject and bare it for all to see, with the deftness of detail without requiring length. “Who buys the cow? / When the milk’s free / But my debt isn’t to you / Them or me. / It’s to grief.” (shitty love songs). There is a maturity to Churchills work that comes from personal suffering and insight, as well as an intensity to her knowledge of design and pacing the reader in a visual experience. I loved the idea of the moon’s cycles and how the poems curl around these waxes and wanes so thoroughly, you cannot tell if she had the idea first or the design came from what was already written. Either way, her collection is besotted with intense imagery and emotive landscapes that fling you into the darkness and back out beneath the moon. “There are no fairy tales / On this side of the tracks / Knowing coffins aren’t nailed / And burned bridges can’t come back.” (Winning). You can truly tell when you read a book by a natural born writer who has a vision and is capable of rendering this vision in perfect replica from her mind to the page. You can distinguish the insightfulness of one who has ‘been there’ and survived, and can relate that pain and the dance through fire, to her readers with a gentle all-encompassing translation. There is a redolent romance and hopefulness to this at times sad, at times uplifting little book and I finished it feeling transported into such a moon world, dizzy with its beauty and its message. “Take all those ideas / You had about life / And throw them / Out the nearest window / And while you are at it / Look out / Look up.” (ready for life). Churchills work breathes slow and steady, her hypnotic drumbeat of optimism and survival, without dismissing the pain and darkness. Her selection of the moon’s cycles as her all-embracing metaphor works perfectly, this is a gorgeously designed and created book I believe anyone would deeply appreciate and treasure. It takes a special soul to walk through fire and still want to light the way for others. C Churchill is such a soul. Buy her.

(4.5) I’m a huge lover of all things night-related! The moon, stars, cloudy skies, silence and comfort when the world is asleep, and a wonderful calm-but-alive feeling you get under the moon. This is a moon/night-themed book and I loved it! Churchill has a calming yet clear way of speaking that also has a bit of flare or personality to it. The absence of commas and periods actually worked in her favor, creating this flow and rhythm. (I talk about rhythm and flow a lot because it’s an element that can enhance the poems’ meaning and aesthetic.) There was a good balance of long and short poems as well. However, 2 small things that stood out to me: - Some of the longer poems would have benefited from pauses because, while the lines blended into each other, knowing where pauses were intended were sometimes harder to see - A few poems (mostly on the longer side) were basically one long stanza when I think breaking them up wouldn’t have hurt the poems’ rhythm/flow. Those are probably just personal preference and it isn’t worth looking into any more than that. One other thing I enjoyed about Petals of the Moon was the mix of moon/night magic, so to speak, and reality. Some poems utilized the darkness of night and glow of the moon/stars and compared it to things experienced in the real world. I certainly recommend this book, especially if you love nature at night, the moon, stars, night sky, and find a comfort in them like I do!

The first thing I found interesting about this book is that the title of each poem is placed below the poem. Second, the poems are followed by the dedication page and then the table of contents. I like the backward aspect. It’s unexpected and unique. Third, the black and white images of the moon and occasional black page with white writing provides a nice contrast to the rest of the book, which is black font on white pages. Fourth, the dedication page is touching: “This collection is dedicated to those who have spent a night or longer sleepless and troubled. You are not alone.” As someone who often has trouble sleeping, I appreciated this dedication. Finally, I loved the poems. From two lines to two pages, the poems are full of raw emotion, sleeplessness, feeling alone, and the power of the moon. The poems are haunting and relatable. I recommend this book to anyone who feels anxious, alone, and unable to sleep at night. Just like the gentle presence of the moon whose soft glow can bring comfort, these poems remind us that the moon is always there, looking down upon us, and we are never truly alone.

Petals of the Moon: A Poetry Collection by C. Churchill offers short lyrical poetry that left me feeling both melancholy and hopeful. There's a thread that runs through even the saddest of these poems that weaves feeling of positivity awaiting. Using the moon as an anchor, Churchill tells the story of life, love, loss, and renewal in these poems. Petals of the Moon feels like a journey and an immersion all at once even on the poems that feel easy to gloss over in the moment.

This was utter beauty from start to finish. The author's ability to craft words that evoke and tiltilate the soul is refreshing. Highly recommend 👌!

The book has good poems in it. My only problem with it is that it’s literally just photocopied. It isn’t for me it’s a present. But I went through it and like the title of the book, “petals of the moon” on some pages it was cut off on top. And like the full black pages. They aren’t fully black, they have like a white boarder on the bottom of the page. Personally I don’t go for paperback so that might be why.. but all in all it’s good. I just wish it didn’t look photocopied..

I’ve gifted this 5 times already, each friend loved it.

Esta es una de las colecciones de poemas con un enfoque hacia la noche, la luna y las emociones que se pueden ocultar entremedio. Tiene toques de melancolía y prosa libre en la mayoría de los casos, pero no todos alcanzan el mismo nivel formal ni estético, sin embargo, considero que vale la pena leerlo.

I was used to the style of rupi kaur, so this book seemed a bit strange to me, I thought that the book would be longer and the printing is not very good, there are parts of the book in which the name of the author and the name of the book are cut, in addition, the black pages with the photo of the moon are not the best in quality.

A fantastic read.I really enjoyed and felt connected to the poetry in this book.I am in love with the writers style of writing and presenting her ideas.

“The monsters under my bed Hum lullabies In the rhythm of my tears Beautiful Haunting Lullabies” It’s been a long time since I’ve found poetry so moving. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of Churchill’s work and look forward to reading more work from her in the future.