'Elaine Barker analyses the natural world, the home and places beyond; not with the eye of the detached onlooker but compassionately inhabiting the minds of fellow travellers, from the tough tattooed man to the accident victim, from a baby in a shawl to a merry cemetery. They celebrate the commonplace - not the pots and pans of life - but precise moments like a spider's web glinting threads strung from its bridge line / each silk strand spun with dewdrops / each glistening sharp and fine. An entire world held within a single feather. Sparrows which casually flit / in and out of life; snatches of memory or loss of memory, past and present fused into exquisitely discrete moments, pickpocketing memories not mere scraps of existence. Worlds and histories evoked by a brooch, a brass button or a mended vase; mere objects until they intersect with humanity. These poems sparkle like the sun through peppertrees glinting through lacy foliage...' - Rob Walker'There is a Zen-like stillness in Elaine Barker's new collection which is always assured in its clear notes. There are new experiences in Asia and a willingness to reference other forms of art, which inspire deep meditation. Her poetry issues an arresting peace.' - Brian Castro
