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"Dreams In All Shades of Light"
Into the Light, a poet's point of view, by Robin A. Maples is a certainly all that it promises to be and more. She takes us into the maze of soul both through lyricism and her broad depth of sharing with us in this journey of self awareness, of perceptive awakenings into the truth hidden within ourselves, therefore in others.



In reading a rare first collection such as this, one is drawn in poem by poem as if following a path through trees deep into the forest of perception, as she pays attention to every detail of the soul, both shadow and light, both the less pleasant and the more profound aspects hidden in our psyches.



Robin, better... More > know as Lyrical Soul, gives us drops of light from her very own experiences that are shaped as healing pools of water, as she dares us to sit at the "poet's table" with her. She moves beyond the mudane by using the very routines in our lives to expose the truth beneath our actions and emotions.



She clearly has woven a triumph for the "Faceless" and "Hopeless." She has demonstrated her gift for sharing the light of the firefly as it navigates darkness travelling along life's highways and byways. Her first collection of poetry is the impressive hard work and artistic accomplishment many dream of. If nothing else, join her in the celebration of wisdom hard earned through humility and beauty.



Zayra Yves

poet, author, artist, mother, activist < Less

"Into the Light"
Ch. 1 ‘Oh, to Be a Poet’ in a short collection of deep poems, the reason for being for this poet…



Ch. 2 ‘Love and Other Intensities’ The topic of love- inevitable, being that which girls are made of (besides sugar and spice!), and makes up the largest chapter, as it should be, for mankind’s survival (my opinion!).



You’ll find passion and revelation, as in ‘Pieces of You’; poetry, as ‘lilac-scented thoughts tumble through the breeze’… there is heartache and consequences, as in ‘Un-Write the Song’; simple womanly thoughts, as in ‘The River’; the sublime, as in ‘Gentle Man’; the intimate, as in ‘The Music Plays’;... More > to empathy, as in ‘Your Bowing Branch’; to insights, dreams, and old-fashioned love…



Ch. 3 ‘It’s Only Poetry’ is the result of the joy of a poet writing poetry.



One follows her muse as it wanders here, now lyrical in ‘Symphony of the Sea’; now dreadful and hopeless in ‘Faceless’ and ‘Hollow Bones’; to the almost comical in the tragic ‘Echoes of Insanity’.

Throughout this collection the underlying woman’s perspective and her needs are bared. Even in lighter fare such as snowflakes and fireflies we see one who had stood on the edge, between darkness and light…

and my favorite, her muse involving her ‘brother’…



Ch. 4’s ‘Heartbreak and Misery’… here one can trace her days of helpless despair in an abusive marriage to her final triumphs over it, ranging from the loss of love and breakup in marriage as portrayed in ‘Heart Storms’; to overcoming and recovering from marital abuse, as in ‘Thaw’, ‘Late September’; and several other related signature pieces, revealing to us the darkness before the light in the struggle of a woman in rising above a culture of darkness she was thrown into…

You will also find the longing emptiness of a woman, as in ‘Guitar Strings’; and the hurt and pain that can occur as a daughter, as in ‘Apples’.



Ch. 5’s This collection of the Cinquain take us from the heightened enlightenment of ‘Street Blues’ and ‘Roots’ to the dreamily philosophical and romantic ‘Circles’ to the pure romance of ‘Trumpets’ to the tragedies of womanhood in ‘In Your Greed’ and ‘Wrinkled Dreams’



I did not read it right away. It sat there on the floor, exactly the way most men treat their women and do not come to know them. My hand was moved in this review, and her words struck me deep. I discovered a fine poetess, and one who opened my eyes to several aspects of 'that which is woman' that I did not see. She speaks for many women.




For men, required reading.




-wbiro, her 'official' poetry brother < Less

"Into the Light" If you care to read a book that etches deep emotions, gratitude, and meditative silence into your heart and intellect, then read this book! This author has become one of my favorites (and I read a lot of poets).

"Into The Light by Robin A. Maples" This initial publication by the author is a haunting, compelling, and emotional work of contemporary poetry. Ms. Maples' first book is highly personal, introspective, and illuminating. I was deeply touched by her first effort and anxiously await future works from her. I would highly recommend this new poetess to the educated, socially-conscious reader.

D.Owen