Gaze the Moon by Andrew Chiniche

Using mystical imagery and plaintive language, poet Andrew Chiniche weaves a powerful experience of magick poetry in Gaze the Moon.

Centered largely on deep soul love that transcends common ideas of connection and romance, the poems vary wildly, from heartfelt and straightforward to abstract puzzles of symbolism. At times, the pieces resemble adages or mantras, such as the simple “You are the light that makes the darkness worthwhile,” but their brevity doesn’t undercut their weight. They offer the chance to take a breath, process the wisdom being shared, and ready oneself for the next impactful page.

Much of the poetry has a sense of adoration – a quest of masculine energy for a feminine one – but this desire for love feels pure and righteous, albeit constant. The patient energy is occasionally disrupted by passionate, erotic, and confessional verses, giving the reader an authentic sense of the poet’s emotional journey of longing.

Reading this collection is a holistic experience, with the slow, gentle language keeping readers at a steady, relaxed pace, and language that begs to be read a second time. Some of the imagery does feel too familiar, and more creativity in some expressions of love would be effective. There is also a good amount of repetition of sentiment throughout the different poems, and these redundancies could be eliminated.

However, those critiques aside, Gaze the Moon is a meditative, harmonious read, one that will inspire a great deal of inward-seeking, exploration, and discovery, within the poet’s own quest.