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Paperback Book Details
  • 12/2023
  • 9798823017763
  • 72 pages
  • $13.99
Moonlight in My Eyes: Poems
Moonlight in My Eyes has brightened the year 2023 with poet James Richard Hansen?s exquisite descriptions of nature and his part in it. The moon, stars, wind, the sea, and occasionally even the sun, paint every nuance of his feelings with the music of words. In 42 poems that capture the magic of the night, we get to share a palette of emotions by one who sees and loves life in all its moods and shades, the dark and the light, and every facet of the spirit. Most of the poems are short, and every word belongs, a perfect symphony of insights and sensations. And with each rereading, the visitor gains new depths, new vibrations on the strings that the poet?s words set into motion. Every line and image awakens sympathetic harmonies, and like classical music, the clear and simple language elicits the most complex emotional responses. Each poem embraces the mind and its rainbow of passions. Each poem invites repeated readings and reveals new discoveries of both the poet?s soul and the reader?s yearnings. Here is a small excerpt: As the sunset faded, the moon captured my heart. The silver sorcerer sang with the stars a nocturne of dreams and desires. The music put me to sleep on the beach in a fantasy of wonder. In addition to this collection of 42 wondrous nature poems, the book gives us the marvel of 13 love poems written to the poet?s wife, Kristen. In ?Darkness to Diamonds,? he concludes with: Your smile imbues my soul with warmth? In my life of much trouble and pain, my time with you has been an oasis of love. Looking into the heart and mind of a poet of Hansen?s giftedness enriches the reader?s experience as well. Keep this booklet close by. ? Kate Jones DSPE Designer/Poet/Author/Memefinder
Reviews
Hansen’s luminous collection, following Skies and Chasms, is a reverential prayer of gratitude and acknowledgement of one of nature’s most fundamental cycles on Earth: night and day. “When stars flickered into view, // and the moon poured out its silver,” he writes, “I was in a land of magic: miracles-on-demand, nothing-is-impossible.” In this cerebral state of cosmic observation, the speaker experiences a spiritual transcendence, just by taking the time to notice the mundane and marvelous phenomenon of the night sky. Yet as much as it focuses on the external stimuli of nature, Hansen’s collection also explores the internal landscape of the self and the challenge of attaining peace.

In “Inner Peace,” the poem’s speaker observes the sun setting and the slow advance of night, and as they experience a flood of tranquility at the sight, the speaker declares, “I decided that the way I perceive the universe // is influenced more by my inner state // than by the lights in the sky.” Hansen explores the notion that internal equilibrium is essential for the self in order to experience a connection with the universe, and a method to engender that personal serenity is to use poetry as a way to express the phenomenon of living. Elsewhere, Hansen makes the connection even more explicit: “Absorbing nature every day // is transforming me,” he notes, a truth that will resonate with anyone who also has prioritized such an observant immersion.

Hansen’s poems also act as vehicles for the existential questioning that results from serious contemplation of the cosmos: “But I may wait a lifetime // and still not get the explanation. // So I put the question on hold // and return to stargazing.” Though somewhat misaligned thematically, the final section, “Love Poems for Kristen,” is nonetheless touching and sincere; romantic love, like the cosmos, is another source of inspiration and spiritual exploration in Hansen’s starry-eyed verse.

Takeaway: Marveling, moonlit collection of poems that illuminate the nightscape of the mind.

Comparable Titles: Sara Teasdale’s “Winter Stars,” Nisha Patel’s “The Blue Bird”

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B+

Formats
Paperback Book Details
  • 12/2023
  • 9798823017763
  • 72 pages
  • $13.99
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