I Ask the Impossible: Poems

The poems in I Ask the Impossible celebrate the strength that "is a woman . . . buried deep in [her] heart". Whether memorializing real-life heroines who have risked their lives for humanity, spinning a lighthearted tale for her young son, or penning odes to mortals, gods, and goddesses, Castillo's poems are radiant with keen perception. She shares over twelve years of poetic inspiration, from her days as a writer who "once wrote poems in a basement with no heat", through the tenderness of motherhood and bitterness of loss, to the strength of love itself, which can "make the impossible a simple act". Her bold voice travels across continents and reaches across cultures -- included here are six poems written in Spanish, with translations by Rosario Ferre. Sometimes erotic, often humorous, this remarkable collection resonates with the unmistakable voice of a "woman on fire -- / and more worthy than stone".