When the Light Is Mine by Chaz Holesworth is an unfiltered collection of poetry that acts as a personal record of struggle, questioning, and broken hope. Written over many years, the poems explore emotional journeys shaped by poverty, religious control, social disillusionment, and the search for personal meaning. The language is intense, oscillating between confessional and critical tones, with lyrical rhythms inspired by song and spoken word. The opening introduction sets the tone by framing the work as both a personal exorcism and an invitation to witness moments of mental fatigue and clarity. Many of the poems originate from nights of restless thought, where writing becomes a form of survival. Themes of organized religion and personal faith run throughout the collection with sharp edges. In “Antichrists Prescribe Antidepressants” and “Heaven is for Cheap Skates,” spiritual doubt clashes with social commentary. Holesworth writes as someone who grew up within strict structures and then spent years freeing himself from their grip.

The poems are filled with pop culture fragments, music references, and blunt social commentary. There is a constant awareness of inequality, of people left behind, and of rituals that lose meaning when repeated without thought. But woven through the bitterness is a quiet thread of wanting connection. This is especially clear in pieces like “I Wear My Grin Like an Insecurity Blanket” and “I Want to Know Your Favorite Song and What Makes You Cling to It,” where vulnerability emerges through the noise. When the Light Is Mine offers no tidy resolutions. Instead, Chaz Holesworth invites readers to sit with discomfort, contradiction, and the hard edges of lived experience. It is for those who appreciate stream-of-consciousness, introspective themes, and lyrical tones, reminiscent of Allen Ginsberg's raw, emotional, and free-flowing poetry.

When the Light is Mine: Poetry for the People by Chaz Holesworth is a search for meaning and a deep reflection of a life that has seen many dark patches. The poet invites readers into the complex recesses of his mind, his struggle with depression, and his perspective on the world. He examines capitalism, organized religion, faulty belief systems, artificial constructs, and the lies that we have been told. The pharmaceutical industry features, as do the rich and their tainted money. He ponders whether freedom is only for those who can afford it. He touches on poverty, dysfunctional families, and his religious upbringing. Other mental health issues, such as OCD and a low self-image, add to the mix, casting deep shadows and affecting relationships. Experiences are fleeting, raising the question as to whether there is any relevance in life’s lessons. Haunted by his past, a refugee in the present, looking for escape, the poet is left to be a rebel, disillusioned and questioning life, asking who or what is God?

When the Light is Mine addresses a wide range of social issues in a world that offers ample scope for the questioning mind of a soul who feels marginalized. Chaz Holesworth also shares his thoughts on reality versus expectation, as well as love, desire, and sex. Music inspired the poet, and his writing has a musical quality. He writes as a release, giving free rein to his emotions, with a skillful play on words. The 80-plus poems are short and punchy, with many harboring thoughts of life gone wrong and things misunderstood, all the while with deep introspection. An appreciation of poetry revolves around personal preference, and readers will have to make their own decision on this thought-provoking work. This anthology paints a grim picture of life, love, and the future, at times conveying a sense of hopelessness, but finding love may yet provide a sliver of hope that there is light to come.