What do you think?
Rate this book
Petals of the Moon
Petals of the Moon is a collection of poems that take the reader through the journey of night. Many nights we toss and turn for several different reasons. Petals of the Moon explores the emotions of darkness. Longing, anxiety and escape are just some of the things we experience when the lights go out. As lonely as nights can become, just know you are not alone.
- GenresPoetryNonfiction
101 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 20, 2019
784 people are currently reading
1646 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
January 4, 2020
That pretty cover! I love the moon and astronomy a lot, so that influenced me to borrow this for free via KU. Petals of the Moon is both filled with gorgeous natural aspects and beautiful writing! I love how the content all ties back to the night sky connections and of course, our dear moon. One poem about monsters under the bed... that took me back to my childhood, a little awkward but relatable indeed!
July 22, 2019
I picked this up because of rave reviews on Amazon and the gorgeous cover. That being said...
This one wasn't for me, and I'll say why. The author didn't really explore form too much and used the enter button
way
too
much
There were also a lot of poems where she used really basic rhymes and then gave up at the very last stanza. Didn't like the inconsistency or the complete lack of punctuation.
If you like Instagram poetry, you'll probably like this (not knocking it, it's a thing, and it's a big hit with some folks). However, if you're in search of poetry that will stay with you and make you reflect, I would suggest you look elsewhere.
I'm really disappointed- I wanted to like this one. The cover and title are gorgeous and I love the concept.
This one wasn't for me, and I'll say why. The author didn't really explore form too much and used the enter button
way
too
much
There were also a lot of poems where she used really basic rhymes and then gave up at the very last stanza. Didn't like the inconsistency or the complete lack of punctuation.
If you like Instagram poetry, you'll probably like this (not knocking it, it's a thing, and it's a big hit with some folks). However, if you're in search of poetry that will stay with you and make you reflect, I would suggest you look elsewhere.
I'm really disappointed- I wanted to like this one. The cover and title are gorgeous and I love the concept.
March 24, 2019
I think this just wasn't for me.
July 18, 2024
"The monsters under my bed
Hum lullabies
In the rhythm of my tears
Beautiful
Haunting
Lullabies"
Hum lullabies
In the rhythm of my tears
Beautiful
Haunting
Lullabies"
March 22, 2019
Beautiful Read
I enjoyed reading this book. I read it through Amazon Kindle and plan to purchase the paperback as well.
This touches on so many subjects written beautifully and poetically and almost all of it ties into the moon, the night sky, and lying awake at night wondering. I though this collection was very unique and I would recommend it! Especially to those who enjoy nature references. Great job CC!
I enjoyed reading this book. I read it through Amazon Kindle and plan to purchase the paperback as well.
This touches on so many subjects written beautifully and poetically and almost all of it ties into the moon, the night sky, and lying awake at night wondering. I though this collection was very unique and I would recommend it! Especially to those who enjoy nature references. Great job CC!
May 3, 2019
Petals of the Moon, a Poetry Collection
C. Churchill
For those of us who read a lot of poetry, there is such a variety of styles unbeknownst to those who are not accustomed to the nuances and breadth a poet may employ. You cannot therefore, talk of all poetry, or all poets, without distinguishing the style of a poet which may change from book to book era to era.
C Churchill’s collection Petals of the Moon is as you may expect, a soft, whispering amuse bouche of feelings and insights, set against some stark and extremely beautiful images. My first impression was to be reminded of the enduring value and necessity of design and beauty in collections of poetry. So often this is forgotten in the indie market, maybe due to cost or inability to find good design.
Design alone, marks Petals of the Moon as a necessary addition to your poetry collection. The author has considered the impact the book itself will make on the reader, she’s taken the time and effort to really walk through your experience beforehand and ensure you are guided to the poignant and powerful imagery and emotions possible in a beautifully designed book.
Like a few of her contemporaries, Churchill puts her titles at the end of the poem, as a ‘last word’ which has great potency when reading. Instead of a title it’s part of the poem, and speaks to the overall purpose whilst also reminding you of the core. Equally, Churchill employs the idea of a word or more, having an especial role as signifier of the poet’s truth. Just one word can say so much, and this is an art increasingly being utilized online in forums such as IG and FB where shorter more intense poetry is eclipsing longer forms.
While I personally prefer longer poetry, I have grown to appreciate the shorter form in this era of immediacy and social media. It fits well and the images here, remind me of successful posts that are widely shared online and become almost, daily mantras. But this is not all Churchill is capable of. In her poem Stubborn, she proves herself quite superb as a versatile and potent voice with chilling lines like; “I have been calloused / beyond a labor life / hardened beyond acceptable / my walls a labyrinth / no seeker has yet found.” This spoke to me intensely as a mantra for women of our time, and the depth of strength necessary to keep going forward. I found it both insightful and hauntingly simple, which is often at the core of any capable writer.
A writer who wears their heart on their sleeve in a smart way, is always going to attract me, because it may appear easy, but to achieve successfully, requires a great deal of nuance and understanding of form and word play. When Churchill says; “We are all monsters / We are all saints / Maybe that is everyone’s fate.” (nonexclusive) There is such a clarity to something deep and impossible to describe it stays with you long after reading. The title is such a clever play on words, and echoes the irony of our experience(s) without having to spell it out and it is this ability with few words I appreciate and envy.
Churchill uses this mode of straight-talk with underlying meaning throughout, juxtaposed with gorgeous moon imagery and selected two-line poems, that go underneath your skin and remain as mantra in your soul. Her quiet urgency and alacrity are not to be overlooked, for she knows how to pick apart a subject and bare it for all to see, with the deftness of detail without requiring length. “Who buys the cow? / When the milk’s free / But my debt isn’t to you / Them or me. / It’s to grief.” (shitty love songs).
There is a maturity to Churchills work that comes from personal suffering and insight, as well as an intensity to her knowledge of design and pacing the reader in a visual experience. I loved the idea of the moon’s cycles and how the poems curl around these waxes and wanes so thoroughly, you cannot tell if she had the idea first or the design came from what was already written. Either way, her collection is besotted with intense imagery and emotive landscapes that fling you into the darkness and back out beneath the moon. “There are no fairy tales / On this side of the tracks / Knowing coffins aren’t nailed / And burned bridges can’t come back.” (Winning).
You can truly tell when you read a book by a natural born writer who has a vision and is capable of rendering this vision in perfect replica from her mind to the page. You can distinguish the insightfulness of one who has ‘been there’ and survived, and can relate that pain and the dance through fire, to her readers with a gentle all-encompassing translation. There is a redolent romance and hopefulness to this at times sad, at times uplifting little book and I finished it feeling transported into such a moon world, dizzy with its beauty and its message. “Take all those ideas / You had about life / And throw them / Out the nearest window / And while you are at it / Look out / Look up.” (ready for life).
Churchills work breathes slow and steady, her hypnotic drumbeat of optimism and survival, without dismissing the pain and darkness. Her selection of the moon’s cycles as her all-embracing metaphor works perfectly, this is a gorgeously designed and created book I believe anyone would deeply appreciate and treasure. It takes a special soul to walk through fire and still want to light the way for others. C Churchill is such a soul. Buy her.
C. Churchill
For those of us who read a lot of poetry, there is such a variety of styles unbeknownst to those who are not accustomed to the nuances and breadth a poet may employ. You cannot therefore, talk of all poetry, or all poets, without distinguishing the style of a poet which may change from book to book era to era.
C Churchill’s collection Petals of the Moon is as you may expect, a soft, whispering amuse bouche of feelings and insights, set against some stark and extremely beautiful images. My first impression was to be reminded of the enduring value and necessity of design and beauty in collections of poetry. So often this is forgotten in the indie market, maybe due to cost or inability to find good design.
Design alone, marks Petals of the Moon as a necessary addition to your poetry collection. The author has considered the impact the book itself will make on the reader, she’s taken the time and effort to really walk through your experience beforehand and ensure you are guided to the poignant and powerful imagery and emotions possible in a beautifully designed book.
Like a few of her contemporaries, Churchill puts her titles at the end of the poem, as a ‘last word’ which has great potency when reading. Instead of a title it’s part of the poem, and speaks to the overall purpose whilst also reminding you of the core. Equally, Churchill employs the idea of a word or more, having an especial role as signifier of the poet’s truth. Just one word can say so much, and this is an art increasingly being utilized online in forums such as IG and FB where shorter more intense poetry is eclipsing longer forms.
While I personally prefer longer poetry, I have grown to appreciate the shorter form in this era of immediacy and social media. It fits well and the images here, remind me of successful posts that are widely shared online and become almost, daily mantras. But this is not all Churchill is capable of. In her poem Stubborn, she proves herself quite superb as a versatile and potent voice with chilling lines like; “I have been calloused / beyond a labor life / hardened beyond acceptable / my walls a labyrinth / no seeker has yet found.” This spoke to me intensely as a mantra for women of our time, and the depth of strength necessary to keep going forward. I found it both insightful and hauntingly simple, which is often at the core of any capable writer.
A writer who wears their heart on their sleeve in a smart way, is always going to attract me, because it may appear easy, but to achieve successfully, requires a great deal of nuance and understanding of form and word play. When Churchill says; “We are all monsters / We are all saints / Maybe that is everyone’s fate.” (nonexclusive) There is such a clarity to something deep and impossible to describe it stays with you long after reading. The title is such a clever play on words, and echoes the irony of our experience(s) without having to spell it out and it is this ability with few words I appreciate and envy.
Churchill uses this mode of straight-talk with underlying meaning throughout, juxtaposed with gorgeous moon imagery and selected two-line poems, that go underneath your skin and remain as mantra in your soul. Her quiet urgency and alacrity are not to be overlooked, for she knows how to pick apart a subject and bare it for all to see, with the deftness of detail without requiring length. “Who buys the cow? / When the milk’s free / But my debt isn’t to you / Them or me. / It’s to grief.” (shitty love songs).
There is a maturity to Churchills work that comes from personal suffering and insight, as well as an intensity to her knowledge of design and pacing the reader in a visual experience. I loved the idea of the moon’s cycles and how the poems curl around these waxes and wanes so thoroughly, you cannot tell if she had the idea first or the design came from what was already written. Either way, her collection is besotted with intense imagery and emotive landscapes that fling you into the darkness and back out beneath the moon. “There are no fairy tales / On this side of the tracks / Knowing coffins aren’t nailed / And burned bridges can’t come back.” (Winning).
You can truly tell when you read a book by a natural born writer who has a vision and is capable of rendering this vision in perfect replica from her mind to the page. You can distinguish the insightfulness of one who has ‘been there’ and survived, and can relate that pain and the dance through fire, to her readers with a gentle all-encompassing translation. There is a redolent romance and hopefulness to this at times sad, at times uplifting little book and I finished it feeling transported into such a moon world, dizzy with its beauty and its message. “Take all those ideas / You had about life / And throw them / Out the nearest window / And while you are at it / Look out / Look up.” (ready for life).
Churchills work breathes slow and steady, her hypnotic drumbeat of optimism and survival, without dismissing the pain and darkness. Her selection of the moon’s cycles as her all-embracing metaphor works perfectly, this is a gorgeously designed and created book I believe anyone would deeply appreciate and treasure. It takes a special soul to walk through fire and still want to light the way for others. C Churchill is such a soul. Buy her.
October 27, 2021
I wasn't a fan. I enjoy poetry that has a rhythm or smoothness, and this didn't fit that. The cadence was inconsistent, even within a single poem. Not bad writing, at all, just not my jam.
January 6, 2023
3.5 stars
Loved a lot of the imagery, but I just didn’t get what the author was SAYING. The “why”, if you will.
Loved a lot of the imagery, but I just didn’t get what the author was SAYING. The “why”, if you will.
March 16, 2019
This book is full of raw emotion and wonderful imagery. The longer pieces are where I feel the authors voice really shines through. Like her other works, I have enjoyed reading it and will picking it up again soon for a reread.
Read
April 10, 2019Have you ever spent your nights thinking and wandering between thoughts and sentiments. This collection is full of such poems that are dedicated to nights and its bearer.
April 11, 2019
Cheryl’s newest book, Petals of the Moon, is filled with poetry that steals your breath. It’s beautiful, raw and honest. The book is broken into three chapters based on the phases of the moon. Each chapter is filled with lines that call to the reader. I found pieces of myself in every poem, but I was especially drawn to ‘hold your tongue’ and ‘bravery’ for their powerful imagery. Highly recommend this beautiful book.
February 19, 2021
Only highlighted one line in this entire book, which is abysmal since I go into poetry expecting to at the very least find beautiful language, creative use of literary devices, imagery, and some level of depth if not full-blown emotion. This book lacked all of that. Most of the poems were trite, and poems that had rhyme schemes used very elementary rhymes, and the line breaks just seemed utterly random in some poems. I don't think I found one poem in this whole book with rhythm, which I'm starting to realize is one of the things I really enjoy about poetry.
Some of the poems didn't even feel relevant to the concept of the collection or the sections they were included in to the point where it seemed less like filler and more like straight up shoehorning.
I don't know. Maybe I'm being too harsh but I don't see the appeal of reading insta-poetry in a book when there's stuff of the same or better quality literally on Instagram for free. I also just don't like the trend of taking a very basic, shallow idea and dressing it up in what some might call "aesthetics" to hide the fact that it's not saying anything, let alone diving into what it's trying to say. I'm feeling particularly salty maybe as I've been reading a lot of poetry this week and I'm just sick of picking up collections by different authors and finding.... nothing that distinguishes them from each other.
Definitely not for me.
Some of the poems didn't even feel relevant to the concept of the collection or the sections they were included in to the point where it seemed less like filler and more like straight up shoehorning.
I don't know. Maybe I'm being too harsh but I don't see the appeal of reading insta-poetry in a book when there's stuff of the same or better quality literally on Instagram for free. I also just don't like the trend of taking a very basic, shallow idea and dressing it up in what some might call "aesthetics" to hide the fact that it's not saying anything, let alone diving into what it's trying to say. I'm feeling particularly salty maybe as I've been reading a lot of poetry this week and I'm just sick of picking up collections by different authors and finding.... nothing that distinguishes them from each other.
Definitely not for me.
June 17, 2019
I'm not going to lie...Petals of the Moon: A Poetry Collection caught my eye with its absolutely stunning cover and that said cover remains my favorite part of this book. I'm such a look at the moon! person and I love all things about the glowing celestial bodies that light up the night, so I found the idea of this poetry collection to be breathtaking: The different phases of the moon arranged like petals around a full moon center on the cover... the division of the different works into three phases of the moon (new, crescent, full)... the ups and downs of life captured in parallels to the waxing and waning of the moon.
This is the book of poetry I wish I would have written... but I'm certainly glad that C Churchill wrote it for me to read instead.
This is the book of poetry I wish I would have written... but I'm certainly glad that C Churchill wrote it for me to read instead.
June 13, 2019
Loved this book, written from the heart every poem was captivating. The two poems that stood out for me are : " The monsters under my bed hum lullabies in the rhythm of my tears, beautiful haunting lullabies" and "It was never about the moon, it was about me finally seeing it" those two poems touched my heart.
February 17, 2021
I found the themes of the poems and overall journey of self discovery to be very relatable. In fact, some of the lines are super similar to ones from my own personal poetry.
However, I thought the poems didn't flow too smoothly, were somewhat repetitive, and the line breaks definitely threw me off sometimes. There were some beautiful lines, but in general it wasn't quite for me.
However, I thought the poems didn't flow too smoothly, were somewhat repetitive, and the line breaks definitely threw me off sometimes. There were some beautiful lines, but in general it wasn't quite for me.
March 24, 2019
Absolutely in love with this beautiful poetry books. I felt the heart of the poet with every page. I read it in one sitting because I couldn't let go of it. With every page I felt as if I was allowed to enter her world and see her heart through every piece.
December 15, 2020
We said it was forever
We said it was fate
We claimed our flag
Our hearts were staked
We were impossible to beat
In this world less humanity
Until we saw
Our mirror cracked
In vanity vanity
We said it was fate
We claimed our flag
Our hearts were staked
We were impossible to beat
In this world less humanity
Until we saw
Our mirror cracked
In vanity vanity
January 27, 2022
It was slow at first and took me forever to get into. But as the book went on it got better. This one wasn’t necessarily for me. She did write beautifully but I just didn’t connect to the words.
September 11, 2023
im gonna stop reading poetry books
January 16, 2025
It was definitely different to read poetry for one. However idk how to rate this besides I liked it and found it intriguing!
August 8, 2023
Lovely and great. “The sun warmed my heart/ But the moon warmed my soul”. Absolutely heartbreaking but comforting I loved it.
March 22, 2019
Such a beautiful collection of poems. The long forms are incredible. I loved the black pages scattered throughout the book. Will read again!
March 25, 2019
Petals of the Moon is gorgeously weaved and full of poetry that moves and speaks to your heart and soul. You can tell these poems came from a very special and honest place. A lot of these pieces are also laced with such poignancy that is full of truths, making this entire book such a fulfilling, wholesome, beautiful read.
April 22, 2021
Quite many of the poems have resonated with me a lot. I felt touched when the author spoke of longing and the hollowness that the night can bring. The best poems were those that promised security and self worth in the hours of the moon and took the moonlight as a metaphor for the soul.
I wish there would have been more than three moon phases in this book. It could have easily been longer and more in depth for some connections to the chapter titels. All in all a wonderful addition to my collection of poetry books.
I wish there would have been more than three moon phases in this book. It could have easily been longer and more in depth for some connections to the chapter titels. All in all a wonderful addition to my collection of poetry books.
April 15, 2019
The first thing I found interesting about this book is that the title of each poem is placed below the poem. Second, the poems are followed by the dedication page and then the table of contents. I like the backward aspect. It’s unexpected and unique. Third, the black and white images of the moon and occasional black page with white writing provides a nice contrast to the rest of the book, which is black font on white pages. Fourth, the dedication page is touching: “This collection is dedicated to those who have spent a night or longer sleepless and troubled. You are not alone.” As someone who often has trouble sleeping, I appreciated this dedication. Finally, I loved the poems.
From two lines to two pages, the poems are full of raw emotion, sleeplessness, feeling alone, and the power of the moon. The poems are haunting and relatable. I recommend this book to anyone who feels anxious, alone, and unable to sleep at night. Just like the gentle presence of the moon whose soft glow can bring comfort, these poems remind us that the moon is always there, looking down upon us, and we are never truly alone.
From two lines to two pages, the poems are full of raw emotion, sleeplessness, feeling alone, and the power of the moon. The poems are haunting and relatable. I recommend this book to anyone who feels anxious, alone, and unable to sleep at night. Just like the gentle presence of the moon whose soft glow can bring comfort, these poems remind us that the moon is always there, looking down upon us, and we are never truly alone.
March 19, 2019
This was very beautiful!
April 12, 2019
There is something wintery in this stunning collection. Never have I read darkness written with such light.
January 28, 2020
Very very nice.
Original, Enjoyable, memorable. This is a POET, and they will thrive in the future. I hope they continue to write. Mix between a modern Poe and a gothic Dr. Seuss. Very raw and deeply honest with herself.
Every poem ended with a subject connected to the next poem, very clever.
After reading this book I could tell she has been through tragedy. Raw tragedy.
THIS is a poet. THIS is poetry.
Very impressed.
Original, Enjoyable, memorable. This is a POET, and they will thrive in the future. I hope they continue to write. Mix between a modern Poe and a gothic Dr. Seuss. Very raw and deeply honest with herself.
Every poem ended with a subject connected to the next poem, very clever.
After reading this book I could tell she has been through tragedy. Raw tragedy.
THIS is a poet. THIS is poetry.
Very impressed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews