Poetry is probably the most intimate form of written communication arising from the heart and crafted with precision to convey, not just information, but meaning, emotion and an invitation to participation. Poetry is meant to be savoured like a fine wine and reflected upon in quiet moments. Of course, there is also a long tradition of poetry as wit and humour. In this collection of short verse, Jeff Burton takes readers through a year of his creative process, exploring topics both lofty and profane with humour and heart. There are poems of great joy, poems of spiritual reflection, poems inspired by natural beauty, poems from the suffering heart, poems of loss, poems of redemption, poems that are light-hearted. In short, this is a kind of poetic diary of a year in a life lived with an open eye and heart. The poems are arranged in chronological order. As Jeff Burton says in the preface, 'This may be of some use to my therapist.' The poetry charts the wandering course of one human heart. But it turns out that all human hearts are more alike than they are different. It is possible to find in this poetry a resonance, a sense of communion and shared experience. The poems are brief. Most are less than a page long. This makes it an ideal collection to 'dip into' at random whenever the moment allows. Whether the poetic structures are formal or informal, the poetry is accessible and clear.
