Reading Van Parker's poetry is an experience of constantly running into unnoticed parts of ourselves and our world. With the probing everydayness of a Robert Frost and the playful mysticism of a Rumi, Van manages to sneak us into observation booths along life's way to catch sight of subtle paradoxes and to discover surprises lurking in a raspberry, a goat, or a Sabbath celebration, bringing smiles of recognition to our faces. - Wayne G. Rollins