Moonlight in My Eyes is a short collection of poems that explore the author’s day-to-day emotions through familiar nature imagery.

James Richard Hansen’s speakers seem enchanted with the expansive potential of every day, as in “Magic,” which begins, “When stars flickered into view,/ and the moon poured out its silver,/ I was in a land of magic:/ miracles-on-demand,/ nothing-is-impossible.”

Hansen writes mostly about what one perceives visually. Readers may appreciate the feeling that his speaker is inviting them into his world to share his tender appreciation for wholesome daytime pleasures, such as the joys of his garden and how that experience transforms as evening falls. For example, “Painting” begins in the tangible (“The lilacs, lilies, and roses on our patio looked radiant,/ their purple, white, and red mixing”) and ends on a more mystical note after the moon and stars appear (“the flowers… / took on an eerie pall … / [They] became silhouettes/ I could barely see”).

While a strength of this collection is the joyful appreciation of light, flowers, color, and the movement of the wind, a major weakness is the lack of sensory details other than the visual. Also, the frequent use of language that veers into cliché (such as in “Easter,” which states: “I look forward to a life/ of many more sunrises/ than sunsets/ many more clear skies/ than clouds”) dilutes the imagery’s power and squanders an opportunity to offer a fresh vision. This is particularly true of the section labeled “Love Poems for Kristen”; for instance, “Not of This World” begins, “You are roses and red wine.” Many poems begin with these statements of address, which can become monotonous in terms of syntax and register.

Overall, these pieces fall into the category of light, inspirational verse. Some readers will enjoy Hansen’s general positivity and directness of expression, but those seeking work that reframes the world with original sensual detail should look elsewhere.

Also available as an ebook.