A mobius strip (or loop) is a loop with a half-twist in it that keeps it from becoming a smooth circle. It is a "non-orientable" surface as a result. It's a symbol that gets used more often than you think. The recycling symbol, with the 3 arrows twisting about, is considered a popular example of a mobius strip. More recently, poet Noah J. Craig used the name and symbolism in his collection Mr. Möbius: Poems. A mobius strip is, perhaps, a perfect way to describe how most people feel regarding poetry. Of all the art forms, it feels the most "non-orientable." But Craig's "Möbius" is less about the obtuseness of poetry and more about the twisted lives we're trying to make straight.

Comprising poems composed over the last few years, Craig has arranged his verses in a way that is supposed to read like a movement or journey, with the titular Mr. Möbius being the focal point. The book has three main sections. The first, "An Introduction," is the shortest of the three, but it sets up Mr. Möbius as a new Christian with the opening poem, "Trenches and Gravediggers." This longer work mixes "letters to home" with descriptions of a spiritual battle that ultimately ends with the soldier's salvation. It's a creative and compelling piece that stands out among the others of this section, which read like your usual poetry.

The main section (and the largest) is "Enter Möbius." This begins with the "title track" of the book (to use musical terms). Möbius is described as "the man who lives white-knuckled/and shouts his whispers but breathes his sighs/who reacts under fire as cold as ice/yet dreams in words far too stern/to ever see the coming light." The poems that spool out from this cover a variety of topics but seem organized into similar categories. The earlier pieces are bleaker as they deal with mental health, but slowly, the tone grows lighter with deeper strokes of hope. It's easy to sweep through this section, but there are some standout poems in the bunch. "Case No. 36" reads like a detective story set to verse, complete with a delightful twist that will leave the reader questioning what was just read. There are plenty of Scripture references throughout, from more subtle poems (like "Joseph's Missing Years" or "Lo Debar") to more open and obvious pieces (like "Psalm 142" or "AMOS"). Different motifs crop up from time-to-time, ranging from colors to certain phrases or even repeated concepts.

"Death" is a major theme. "The Ceremony of a Murder" ends off "Enter Möbius" while the next section, "An Aftermath," opens with "Good Times." This poem pictures the poet at a diner, having an enigmatic conversation with Death. "Death" here, however, is not necessarily the end point of human life. Craig is talking of death in biblical terms, as in "dying to self." Both of the previously mentioned poems play with that theme in creative ways. "Mr. Möbius Returns" is another piece in this section, and it is also concerned with the paradox of "working out" our salvation and dying to self. The rest of "An Aftermath" carries on in hopeful tones, embracing the spiritual "death" and rebirth of life in Christ. The confusion of the main section is largely left behind as Craig moves forward in assurance.

The book concludes with an "Epitaph," and a bonus poem after the acknowledgements. The overall effect of Mr. Möbius walks the line of being poetic and esoteric while also being plain-spoken enough that the average reader can engage with Noah J. Craig's work. Some of the poems feel like they resolve a little too tritely with an obligatory upswing toward hope after wallowing in darker depths. For the most part, however, Craig's collection is an artful expression of faith in poetry. It is also short enough that the reader can return to it multiple times over short periods. Whether you're into poetry or not, Mr. Möbius is a good book to express some of the things about faith that seem inexpressible.