River of Time

About the Book

The poems in this book are selection of Tanka poetry, written by the author in a period of a little over one year. The book is divided into six seasons, The First Late Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, Early Winter, and The Second Late Winter. During this period of fourteeen months the ebb and flow of the river of his life carried him through many changes and challenges.

The early poems address a period of contemplation and preparing for change, as Going Home: Relaxing my graps,
I let the small bird fly free;
And I watch, afraid.
Frantic wings carry her home;
Without wings, I am still, lost.
The final poem address a personal text of love, as in Love's Touch: Speaking with silence,
Soft fatigue has settled here.
Quietly, we wait.
Leaving our thoughts unuttered.
Holding, touching, one more time.

About the Author

Dr. Robert W. Barker has had a long career as a profesional exploration geologist. His first book, The Devil's Chosen, A Search for Understanding, examined the context of life decisions, by the victims, the perpetrators, and the bystanders in the time of the Holocaust. His first book of poetry, Pathways and Passages, A Year of Haiku, was in many ways a continuation of this exploration of relationships and the human spirit. This book, River of Time, Six Season of Tanka, continues in the Spirit of Pathways and Passages, examining the visions, changes and challenges presented by the rivers of life as it flows through time. Dr. Barker currently lives in Williamsburg, Massachusetts.