Sandra Leon-Gonzalez’s latest collection is a testament to humankind’s resiliency without shying away from the darkness that’s led to such a need for survival. These poems urge readers to fight for themselves, to fight for one another, and to always (always!) fight for a more beautiful, more inclusive world: “I look to a brighter tomorrow / A future driven by my dreams / Where we are just human / Embracing all ethnicities.” With fierce musicality and earnest language, each poem is a map, a call to arms, a soul-stirring crystal ball for how to persevere against (and overcome!) adversity with both grit and grace. Whether she’s writing about the ever-winding path to freedom, finding magic in the impermanence of our time here, or empowering (and emboldening) readers to live despite (and in spite of), at the core of each poem is—love. Finding My Wings guides readers to understand that on your own you cannot grow. And so let’s wander and wonder together.
The amazing grace of poetry is how it allows us to reflect on our life experiences, to seek the deeper meaning there. In Now I See, poet Sandra Leon-Gonzalez pulls back the curtains on her past, present, and future to let the sunlight pour in. "Widen the scope of your vision. / Look deeper beyond Earth's wreath," she tells us, "And know that some things hidden in darkness / Are just beauty evolving underneath." That's the sweet sound that pulls this collection forward-this sense of evolution and revolution-transforming the pain of the lost into the comfort of the found. It's the perspective that comes with looking down from above, the bird's-eye of faith and love. "Open yourself to a bigger picture- / A panoramic point of view," she says. The poems in Sandra Leon-Gonzalez's Now I See look long and hard for truth, but what they really find is home.
These poems are about life’s journey through self-evaluation, seeing oneself in a positive space while asserting self-empowerment, growth in a positive direction, and acceptance of the new you. It is also important for us to identify negative energy and deflect them in their path and forge ahead to the best part of oneself while embracing the beauty of art and the world.
These poems are about Love, Faith, Empowerment, and Acceptance. To be able to see your truth and find your voice is an amazing feat. I am hoping that others will be empowered by my words to seek their own truth and find their voice and not be afraid to allow themselves to be heard. Always know that every journey has a beginning and an end and how you cope and adjust to the in-between is entirely up to you. Relinquishing fear from the equation of your life, makes your possibilities endless. Our journey should be one of evolution in growth, find your Drishti and guide your path towards the light.