Olivia Maciel

En los poemas de Olivia Maciel hay un palpable sentir de traves a, donde con cada paso, con cada poema, uno se adentra en el mundo l rico de los sentidos, del intelecto, de la imaginaci n. A lo largo de este sendero l rico, uno encuentra lugares y personajes, entre claroscuros de sombra y luz - lo sensual, lo nocturno, fragancias, una paleta de colores, sabor de frutos, de amor, de la vida misma. Lo escuchamos en el sinest sico mbito de flores y flamas, lo escuchamos en los silencios y en las exclamaciones de gozo, en poemas que poseen la textura y el sabor de una pintura en cada pincelada, como si fuera en nuestra propia piel. A lo largo de este espont neo, frecuentemente inesperado sendero el lector encuentra di logos con poetas, artistas, fil sofos, ngeles, y lo Divino. Dentro de esa expresi n po tica acontecen siempre un audaz cuestionamiento, curiosidad, sin embargo con el reconocimiento de lo trascendente, de lo inefable. Cielo de Magnolias, Cielo de Silencios es una traves a m stica que nos recuerda a lo que se encuentra cerca y sin embargo invisible, que lo que se encuentra cerca es frecuentemente objeto de negligencia y olvido, y que lo que es interno y externo en el curso de nuestras vidas, tambi n participa de lo eterno. In the poems of Olivia Maciel there is a palpable sense of journey and brave exploration, where with each step, with each poem, one enters a lyrical world of the senses, the intellect, imagination. Along the lyrical path one encounters places and people among shadows and light-the sensual, the nocturnal, fragrances, a palette of colors, tastes of fruit, of love, of life itself. We hear it in the synesthetic realms of flowers and flames; we hear it in silences and cries of joy, in poems that have a taste and often the feel of a painting in each brushstroke, as if on our own skin. Along this often spontaneous, unexpected path the reader encounters dialogues with poets, artists, philosophers, angels, and the Divine. Within that poetic expression, there always is a sense of bold questioning, curiosity, yet with recognition of the transcendent, unknowable. Cielo de Magnolias, Cielo de Silencios is a mystical journey that reminds us of what is close yet not really seen, that what is near is often neglected or forgotten, and that which is internal and external in the course of our lives, also partakes of the eternal.

In her fourth book of poems, Mexican-born, Olivia Maciel lyrically evokes another America. She writes with the critical and contemplative eye of a poet, revealing mystery and beauty in places dark and light, near and far. The richly allusive language of" Sombra en plata / Shadow in Silver" is a terrain at times steep, fevered, and sensual: a harmony of words scented of earth and sky. Her poems are catalysts for transformation, challenging the reader with a vision of a world where myth and the quotidian are intimately intertwined. Exploring complex and unpredictable landscapes, Maciel is both a guide and fellow traveler on a fascinating journey through memories and emotions. She eloquently draws from both collective and personal histories, and this new bilingual compilation will be a pleasure to turn to again and again.

In "Limestone Moon" Olivia Maciel interrogates the inexpressible. Metaphor reaches into a realm of light and darkness to mysteriously converse with the silence enveloping the word. The tinging of this dark light which transcends borders, reveals a vehement and genuine interior, impregnated by the seed of the dream. With almost religious intensity, the poems yield a rare fruit, whose taste evokes the ineffable.

In Olivia Maciel's "Filigree of Light," one enters a lyric of solitude and light, water and wind. Maciel is a poet who has the power to reveal and surprise, bringing one close to things. She approaches the unknown, searching with riddles and reverie.