Touch the River

About the Book

The poems in Touch The River are selected from a series of poems written by the author over a period of approximately two years. They are a mixture of short, Japanese-style poetry, ranging from relatively traditional Haiku and Tanka forms to some more divergent styles.

Child’s Garden

she walks so boldly
to find her waiting future
leaving us behind;
the whole world lies before her
to explore and call her own
Cold Dancing

snow and wind combining
dress the land in white
a frigid wedding gown;
the groom
will wait for spring
to dance

The book also includes some longer poems. Some of the poetry addresses simple observations of nature, seasonal changes, current events, but others focus on the author’s family and on the passing of friends. Some are intensely personal, but there is meaning in each for every reader.

About the Author

Dr. Robert W. Barker
has had a long career as an explorer, searching for gold on five continents. His first book, The Devil’s Chosen, A Search for Understanding, examined the context of life decisions by the victims, by the perpetrators, and by the bystanders in the time of the Holocaust. Touch The River is his fourth book of poetry and continues in the tradition of the earlier books in presenting fifty-two poems that examine the visions, challenges and relationships presented by the river of life. Dr. Barker currently lives in Williamsburg, Massachusetts.