With lush language and lavish imagery, Gabriela Marie Milton evokes a fantastic world ripe with emotion.

Christina Schwarz, the author of the New York Times Bestseller Drowning Ruth

This is a mesmerizing collection of poetry. Gabriela Marie Milton’s lines teem with life, passion, and introspective courage.

Brian Geiger, editor of Vita Brevis

Truthfully, I never expected to be reviewing a book of poetry

About the Poet

Gabriela Marie Milton (pen name) is an author of three novels. She was awarded 2019 Author of the Year at Spillwords Press. She publishes under the pen name Gabriela M. in Spillwords Press, Vita Brevis, Indian Periodical, Gioielli Rubati Poetry (translated in Italian by Flavio Almerighi), Tuck Magazine, KashmirPen, “Heretics, Lovers, and Madmen,” Literary Yard, Proletaria, Free Verse Revolution, and other venues. She was selected “Author of the Month” at Spillwords (April 2019).

Her poem “The Breath of Love and Death” was voted “Publication of the Month” at Spillwords (November 2019). Gabriela’s work was included in the following anthologies: America’s Emerging Poets Southeast Region (Z Publishing House, 2018); Florida’s Best Emerging Poets (Z Publishing House, 2019); and Pain & Renewal (Vita Brevis Press, 2020).

My thoughts …

I can’t really explain it. I guess I am finally getting in touch with my inner poet? And, it probably shouldn’t come as a total shock to me, because I am somewhat of a romantic fool, I guess. In fact, that part of who I am has gotten me into trouble a few times. But poetry?

I mean, I did like some of Edgar Allan Poe’s poems like Annabel Lee, Eldorado, and The Raven. I also liked The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and thanks to a recent discussion about poetry with my Dad, I just now discovered I really like The Ballad of East and West by Rudyard Kipling.

But I never thought I would be reviewing a book of poetry, much less buying one for my own enjoyment. How would this come to pass, you may ask … or, you may not … but I will tell you anyway.

Whenever a new blogger likes one of my posts, I go visit their blog to see who they are and whether I am interested in their writing or want to follow their blog. A short while back, I had a blogger who went by short-prose-fiction like one of my posts. I went to the blogger’s site and discovered Gabriela Marie Milton and a fragment from one of her poems called Trap Me. The verse brought back beautiful memories of a trip to Rome and Florence and seeing in person so many of the works of great artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michael Angelo.

I found myself returning to Gabriela’s blog quite regularly to read other snippets of poetry and really enjoyed them. The next thing you know, I’d ordered her book!

But a book of love poems (and of course, other writings)?

Here’s a phrase from a poem I really liked.

… with this ring
made from the muscle of my lively heart
I promise I will love you till the end
when you travel the whole earth
in search of that which is the scent of me

Gabriela Marie Milton, with this ring I promise you

Wow. Can’t help it. That is beautiful! Why? Because, the romantic idiot that I sometimes am, I felt that way once in my life, the smell of her hair, the touch of her skin. I don’t know if I will ever feel that way again. I kind of hope not. I am not sure my heart could stand it. But that was indeed a beautiful time in my life.

One more phrase I really liked …

I had to go through your soul
to get to mine
once in mine
I wish
I would have stayed in yours …

Gabriela Marie Milton, Souls

Have you ever felt that being with another person filled some missing part of you? I have. And I really liked that feeling. It kind of made me feel whole and gave a purpose to my existence. You really miss it when it’s gone.

Of course, the practical side of me says you don’t really need anyone, that you have to be secure in yourself before you can be secure with somebody else. And I get that. But it is so lovely to have a driving reason to succeed.

I’m not sure that I would go as far as to say I am now a poetry fanatic, but I have really learned something here, and as time permits, I feel like I may check out more of this stuff called poetry. Might as well start with more Kipling. I have read and enjoyed The Jungle Book, The Man Who Would Be King, Gunga Din, and Just So Stories …, might as well explore more of his poetry.

And I will definitely be on the lookout for more by Gabriela Marie Milton.

And, while I am certainly not an expert on poetry, I would give Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings 5 out of 5 stars, if for no other reason than the effect it had on me. And, as far as my limited knowledge of poetry goes, I think it is an excellent book of poems and other writings.

You can click here or on the image above to view the book on Amazon.com.

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