New Poetry Release When the Light Is Mine Examines Disillusionment, Power, and Personal Reckoning

Chaz Holesworth’s debut collection blends social critique with raw emotional reflection shaped by poverty, religion, and survival.

PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNITED STATES, November 24, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Chaz Holesworth announces the release of "When the Light Is Mine," his debut poetry collection that brings a candid and uncompromising perspective to themes of mental health, institutional power, religion, and personal identity. Rooted in lived experience, the collection reflects years of introspection shaped by poverty, trauma, and the lasting impact of extreme religious ideology.

Written in a stream-of-consciousness style, the poems confront emotional isolation, disillusionment, and the internal cycles of self-doubt while offering moments of clarity and reflection. Holesworth’s work presents an unfiltered lens on modern unrest and the personal cost of survival in a society driven by performance and control.

Beyond its thematic scope, the collection represents approximately twenty-five years of poetic development, with pieces written across different stages of Holesworth’s life. Some poems date back to his teenage years, while others were completed within the past year, creating a layered portrait of artistic evolution shaped by time, experience, and shifting perspective.

His approach to poetry contrasts sharply with his structured memoir work, reinforcing the collection’s role as a space for unfiltered emotional and social commentary. “With poetry,” Holesworth says, “there are no limitations. I can go off and write what I think and feel and it’s freedom. It’s my mind on hyperdrive.”

Raised in Philadelphia by a father battling heroin addiction and a mother immersed in strict fundamentalist Christianity, Holesworth developed a voice forged through conflict, resilience, and hard-earned self-awareness. Now living in the suburbs of Philadelphia with his wife and their dog, he continues to write with directness and urgency, drawing from decades of personal history and observation.

WHY THIS BOOK MATTERS NOW

"When the Light Is Mine" provides timely reflection on the emotional and societal pressures shaping contemporary life. Its focus on disillusionment with organized religion, mistrust of power structures, and the psychological toll of modern expectations speaks to readers navigating burnout, identity fatigue, and the search for meaning outside traditional frameworks. The collection captures a moment where personal reckoning and social awareness intersect, giving voice to individuals who question inherited systems and seek clarity through honest expression.

EARLY FEEDBACK AND PRAISE

Early responses point to the collection’s emotional force and its ability to resonate with readers seeking honesty, catharsis, and literary depth.

“To summarize, readers will appreciate the honesty, raw emotion, and passionate language present throughout 'When the Light is Mine.' While the poems tended toward stream-of-consciousness, they were still impactful and poignant. The topics covered reveal insights into Holesworth’s inner world while maintaining relatability; there are many people who have faced injustice at the hands of the government, church, or society, and readers looking for some catharsis in that regard will thoroughly enjoy the poems in this collection.”—Readers Views

“Because of the visible passion and anger on each page, the reader can’t help but feel that emotion themselves. This makes 'When the Light is Mine' an exceptional collection of poetry. When a poetry collection can impart a feeling to the reader, it has done its job successfully.”—BookLife Book Review

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chaz Holesworth writes from the gritty edge of lived experience. Raised in Philadelphia by a father struggling with heroin addiction and a mother bound to extreme fundamentalist Christianity, he grew up in a world defined by poverty, trauma, and contradiction. Out of that turbulence emerged a voice that is both unflinching and lyrical, capturing the weight of survival, the failures of society, and the fragile hope that persists despite it all.

Over the past twenty-five years, Chaz has been sculpting those experiences into stories and poems. His memoir offers a brutally honest account of his past, while his poetry collection distills decades of struggle and reflection into themes of love, depression and loneliness, religion, and the fault lines buried beneath our society. Now living in the suburbs of Philadelphia with his wife and their beloved dog, Chaz continues to write with the urgency of someone who knows the cost of silence. His work speaks to anyone drawn to poetry and memoirs that dwell on deeper things, offering snapshots of a difficult life and the possibility of connection, understanding, and light.

AVAILABILITY & FURTHER INFORMATION

"When the Light is Mine" (ISBN: ‎979-8889257820 -Independently Published, 2025) is available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other major retailers.

For more information about Chaz Holesworth and his works, visit https://chazholesworthbooks.com/

For media requests and author interviews, contact

Chaz Holesworth
Author
mailto:chazrem@gmail.com
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