Poet Jack Bender brings an amazing diversity of life experiences to his poetry. He's been a U.S. Army officer, a computer programmer and a musician who also taught music in schools and in prisons. He has written widely about teaching, and was selected for the pilot program of The Courage to Teach. Currently, he is a mediator working to resolve conflicts referred by the court system. His poems express the growing depth of his reflections on human relationships and the teachings of the natural world that surrounds us. Deepest of all is his understanding of experiences that go beyond words, touching the mystery of life's meaning and the presence of God. His poems are echoed in their depth by the art of Cindy Bender, present here not to 'illustrate' the poetry, but to add the speech of a painter to the voice of the poet. This is a 'keeper' book-to enjoy, share with friends...and, most of all, to read, re-read and then read again.