Book Review: Passions by Gabriela Marie Milton

Reviewed by Samantha Hui

A bright collection that illustrates how love and poetry are intertwined, continuously inspiring one another

“Spaces, times, light crawl upon each other like flapping fish in a net. / The enigma of ‘to be.’ / The simplicity of me.“

Gabriela Marie Milton’s Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings is a haunting, lyrical exploration of love in its many incarnations: longing, loss, desire, and the mystical search for connection. This poetry collection blurs the lines between spiritual yearning and sensual experience, weaving together myth, memory, and raw emotion. Milton writes for readers who are drawn to layered imagery, who enjoy meditative poetry, and who are not afraid to explore the metaphysical dimensions of love and identity.

“I have to go through your soul / to get to mine“

Passions is a collection of short love poems, but these verses stretch beyond romantic affectation. They inhabit a liminal space where the past, present, and future collide, where gods and ghosts whisper among mundane things. Milton’s poetic universe is populated with references to Judeo-Christian thought, Hinduism, Greek mythology, and agnostic questioning.

Lines like “to tear my heart and throw it to Lord Vishnu / to soil my hands while healing beggars in the streets” exemplify the spiritual intensity that runs through the collection. Still, Milton grounds these esoteric references with tactile beauty such as moss, trees, cold winds, and “flapping fish in a net,” bringing a visceral edge to even her most abstract reflections.

“I conjugate ‘to leave’ in the voice of trees / the air reverberates expressions of the old gods / the space changes its mind“

Structurally, the book begins with love poems, all center-aligned, lending a visual sense of balance and focus, like offerings placed deliberately on an altar. After these lyrical meditations, Milton shifts to a section of poems translated into Italian, adding an intimate, cross-cultural echo to her voice.

The final section departs from poetry entirely, offering flash fiction and short reflective prose. Interestingly, these vignettes expand on figures mentioned in the poems, like the characters with green eyes and blue eyes, hinting at deeper emotional histories and lending narrative weight to the previously ethereal verse.

“I step into the land of fantasies that are not mine / I play with dreams like children play with kites“

One of the great strengths of Milton’s writing is her use of recurring imagery to create emotional resonance. Autumn, often a symbol of transformation, appears again and again, as in “I ran to you into the northern hemisphere / and autumn came / to bury me in its neuroses’ mold.” The season acts as both a setting and a metaphor for inner change. Likewise, the image of children flying kites recurs, evoking a bittersweet longing for innocence and simpler expressions of joy, even as the poems delve into the complexities of adult love.

“my body, syllogism of lust / fertility of the flatlands“

Passions is a collection for the contemplative reader, those who appreciate symbolic language, mythic references, and emotional depth. Gabriela Marie Milton has crafted a poetic world where spiritual longing meets sensual reality, and where even the quietest images pulse with significance. This book is a rewarding experience for lovers of lyrical, layered, and emotionally intelligent poetry.

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