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awakening our senses gradually
until the sunset wrapped all things
in a loving,
lulling penumbra
of infinite sensibility,
opening the way for the queen of the night."
In the academic arena, Garcia inspired her students with her passion and inspiration as an educator. It is with these same two attributes that she pours her heart into the pages of her poetry. Her compassion for all that life offers is felt through the juxtaposition of her sympathy for the human condition and her appreciation of nature's beauty. With her words, one feels encouraged, compelled to live a fuller, brighter life and yet softened as though one's pain and loss is finally understood.
Garcia knew the struggle of having to leave everything behind to begin again in a strange land when her family had to immigrate from Cuba to the Unite States. This taught her the lesson of life's fragility, the transient nature of both time and place. One feels this in her poems as an intense need to be in the moment through her careful eye for detail as though nothing should ever be taken for granted, for one day it all shall pass. And yet, through her love of the Lord, there is peace in each passing as she learns in "A Sad November" that "Nothing dies [and] All is transformed by the Love of God."
In addition to the powerful words, the book is carefully illustrated with photos in every poem lending not only an aesthetic visual break on the page, but also another element through which to interpret her words. The book is thoughtfully arranged by subject making it easy for the reader to find the right poem to read in the right moment. Garcia has created a book of joy and grief and everything in between that is sure to resonate with her readers.