Letting in the Light is a book of poems, all of which I wrote between the ages of eighty and eighty-six. They seemed to emerge naturally, both from when I was forty-one years in the active ministry and from reflections and writings during retirement. You might say that poetry finally found me and has become the best way I know of putting into words some things Ive begun to learn. Writing poems has opened up the world in ways I hadnt expected. Its made me aware of connections to other people and to the earth, which is truly our mother. Letting in the Light is a book about discovering the holy in the ordinary, everyday experiences that come to all of us. Some have described my poems as accessible. I hope those who read them will find them of some help. They are offered by a fellow journeyer.

Van Parker is a retired United Church of Christ minister and minister emeritus of the First Church in Windsor, Connecticut. Since retiring, Van has spent his time volunteering, gardening, and writing. This is his third book of poems. He and his wife, Lucille, live in Cromwell, Connecticut.