The poetry of Mara Senese is a poetry of fire and ice, of the sacred and the profane, of inner and outer visions. From her departure from the convent to her walk in spring woods Senese takes the reader on her journey, a journey which involves travel across landscapes and within the self. It is a journey of desire, of discovery and even disappointment, but always renewed and searching with a restlessness that is reflected in her writing, which is often quicksilver and full of sparks that glimmer in her darkness - and ours. Read her, weep with her, rejoice with her and come to see yourself awakened by her "food for the soul. " Philip Burnham, Author of Shore Lines Winner of the Loft Poetry Prize