From her early, highly erotic poems that disturbed Catholic Nicaragua to the poetry of a mature woman, Gioconda Belli's poems have always shared one thing in common: they reflect the full range of emotions of her female presence. This includes sensuality and enjoyment as well as rebellion against personal and societal unfreedom. Belli's texts from recent years, gathered in "I Am Fire in the Distance," are also marked by thoughts of farewell and loss. She openly mourns what is irretrievably lost: that youthful conviction of one's own immortality, audacity, and unrestrained passion. Nevertheless, Gioconda Belli's antennas for life and desire remain attuned. The mingling of pain and finitude with her passion lends her texts a subtle melancholy that is particularly captivating.