A Matter of Time
This is poetry to unlock the heart. It is also life. Parents, children, everyone growing older. Illness, loss, and still a togetherness soul to soul. A few reflections on writing, and many musings on the inevitable learning that accompanies love, of every sort. Enter with a cup of tea, lean into a comfortable chair.
I collect memories, moments, like blankets
Keep warm before the ever unknown
Love is woven here
What others say about A Matter of Time:
"Wow, just wow. I just finished reading Heidi Baker’s most recent volume of brilliant poetry. A mix of poetry and prose, this is a must read for women like me, who are busy moms that need a reminder to pause amid our chaos and just breathe. Heidi is so good at this. She paints us a vivid picture of how beautiful life truly is. How much do we need to thoroughly notice the tiny, fleeing moments that make up our days! I was captivated , cried, and pondered my own family life, as she fearlessly shared hers with me. Could not put this down until I had read it all. Will be reading again, so I can savor the insights more fully." -From Amazon.com
"For me, good poetry can at times surprise you with its beauty. It also puts into words something that you have inside of you, something that maybe you never realized you quite needed to articulate. Heidi Baker’s poems do both.
I’ve been a fan of Baker’s poetry for a long time, but “A Matter of Time” in particular just so happened to articulate some experiences I’ve also gone through over the past few years. Like Heidi, I’m watching my child grow up, and like Heidi, I’ve watched my mother fall ill and die.
Like Heidi, now that my mother is gone, I marvel at how much my hands resemble hers - only I never thought to put that to words. When I came upon them in this book, tears came to my eyes and I gave a knowing nod.
There were so many other stunning lines I highlighted. My favorites include:
- “I know my mother’s kiss,/a spark on my cheek/as loud as a finger snap,”
- “I could not move fast enough to gather her pieces,/to understand where we had ended up.”
- “Hope forms, too, of rising through grief,/each moment, holy ground”
- “My eyes still shine,/and in the thin etched pathways/beside and above them, my life unfolds,/a mysterious beating of wings/whose momentum carries me/through my true story.”
If you’re looking for a beautiful, healing meditation on motherhood, childhood, loss, and also writing itself, this book is an absolutely perfect read. I came out of it feeling inspired and whole, hopeful and a bit like I’d visited something at once universal and very personal." -From Amazon France
Published July 23 2021
This is poetry to unlock the heart. It is also life. Parents, children, everyone growing older. Illness, loss, and still a togetherness soul to soul. A few reflections on writing, and many musings on the inevitable learning that accompanies love, of every sort. Enter with a cup of tea, lean into a comfortable chair.
I collect memories, moments, like blankets
Keep warm before the ever unknown
Love is woven here
What others say about A Matter of Time:
"Wow, just wow. I just finished reading Heidi Baker’s most recent volume of brilliant poetry. A mix of poetry and prose, this is a must read for women like me, who are busy moms that need a reminder to pause amid our chaos and just breathe. Heidi is so good at this. She paints us a vivid picture of how beautiful life truly is. How much do we need to thoroughly notice the tiny, fleeing moments that make up our days! I was captivated , cried, and pondered my own family life, as she fearlessly shared hers with me. Could not put this down until I had read it all. Will be reading again, so I can savor the insights more fully." -From Amazon.com
"For me, good poetry can at times surprise you with its beauty. It also puts into words something that you have inside of you, something that maybe you never realized you quite needed to articulate. Heidi Baker’s poems do both.
I’ve been a fan of Baker’s poetry for a long time, but “A Matter of Time” in particular just so happened to articulate some experiences I’ve also gone through over the past few years. Like Heidi, I’m watching my child grow up, and like Heidi, I’ve watched my mother fall ill and die.
Like Heidi, now that my mother is gone, I marvel at how much my hands resemble hers - only I never thought to put that to words. When I came upon them in this book, tears came to my eyes and I gave a knowing nod.
There were so many other stunning lines I highlighted. My favorites include:
- “I know my mother’s kiss,/a spark on my cheek/as loud as a finger snap,”
- “I could not move fast enough to gather her pieces,/to understand where we had ended up.”
- “Hope forms, too, of rising through grief,/each moment, holy ground”
- “My eyes still shine,/and in the thin etched pathways/beside and above them, my life unfolds,/a mysterious beating of wings/whose momentum carries me/through my true story.”
If you’re looking for a beautiful, healing meditation on motherhood, childhood, loss, and also writing itself, this book is an absolutely perfect read. I came out of it feeling inspired and whole, hopeful and a bit like I’d visited something at once universal and very personal." -From Amazon France
Published July 23 2021
Love Story: A Walking Meditation
Love Story: A Walking Meditation is for the mother’s heart, the nomads, those who’ve lost a parent too soon, and souls who long to slow down. It is a record of time passing in a world of spirit cloaked in matter. It’s a world of beauty, amid challenges, which I can touch only when I am still, present, seeking nothing but a way to relate the miracle that is everyday life.
What others are saying about Love Story:
"I stumbled upon this book because I thought it was by the missionary Heidi Baker and was surprised it was written by a mother like myself who writes very moving and beautiful poetry. It was perfect for my heart and it has moved me and stirred things within me. I LOVE this book and will re--read it. I really appreciated this writers gifts and the way she shares her heart. BEAUTIFUL writing. Moving, real and poignant.
This book ministers to my spirit in so many ways and levels. I see more of the beauty of my everyday life through this writers words. Thank you Heidi for sharing these poems!"
"Heidi Baker's Love Story: A Walking Meditation is a mesmerizing collection of poems. Heidi has the incredible ability to pull you into her world and into her heart."
"She carried me along with her as she explored her own unfolding, sharing her most intimate moments and leaving me with the feeling that I know my own self better as a result. This is what poetry is supposed to do - change the reader in unanticipated ways."
Love Story: A Walking Meditation is for the mother’s heart, the nomads, those who’ve lost a parent too soon, and souls who long to slow down. It is a record of time passing in a world of spirit cloaked in matter. It’s a world of beauty, amid challenges, which I can touch only when I am still, present, seeking nothing but a way to relate the miracle that is everyday life.
What others are saying about Love Story:
"I stumbled upon this book because I thought it was by the missionary Heidi Baker and was surprised it was written by a mother like myself who writes very moving and beautiful poetry. It was perfect for my heart and it has moved me and stirred things within me. I LOVE this book and will re--read it. I really appreciated this writers gifts and the way she shares her heart. BEAUTIFUL writing. Moving, real and poignant.
This book ministers to my spirit in so many ways and levels. I see more of the beauty of my everyday life through this writers words. Thank you Heidi for sharing these poems!"
"Heidi Baker's Love Story: A Walking Meditation is a mesmerizing collection of poems. Heidi has the incredible ability to pull you into her world and into her heart."
"She carried me along with her as she explored her own unfolding, sharing her most intimate moments and leaving me with the feeling that I know my own self better as a result. This is what poetry is supposed to do - change the reader in unanticipated ways."
We Walk with Poetry Every Day
Each day new faces bloom on the children. While we sleep they grow. My role shifts and I spend years mourning, a gentle song behind everything I do, and the reason I become more than I was before. There are souls to honor. Other hours I simply am, grounded in reality or carried away in stories both true and based on life. Pen in hand, I hope. This is where my poetry lives.
What others say about We Walk with Poetry Every Day:
"A soulful collection, honest and real yet immensely gentle in how it leads us through the imagery of a life lived with heart. A beautiful mirror on growth, loss, and pain, but also parenting, love, and the stillness or passage of time."
"I love this writer! I love that she can derive beauty from her daily life. When she writes of pain on a clear day, the reader feels it. When she encourages us to stop and just breathe in the ordinary moments in life, I am inspired to do so. The simple interaction with an elderly neighbor is beautiful. Among my favorite poems here are: Hidden Treasures, This is Your Life, A Poem Falls Out of Grief on a Clear Day, and Wings."
Each day new faces bloom on the children. While we sleep they grow. My role shifts and I spend years mourning, a gentle song behind everything I do, and the reason I become more than I was before. There are souls to honor. Other hours I simply am, grounded in reality or carried away in stories both true and based on life. Pen in hand, I hope. This is where my poetry lives.
What others say about We Walk with Poetry Every Day:
"A soulful collection, honest and real yet immensely gentle in how it leads us through the imagery of a life lived with heart. A beautiful mirror on growth, loss, and pain, but also parenting, love, and the stillness or passage of time."
"I love this writer! I love that she can derive beauty from her daily life. When she writes of pain on a clear day, the reader feels it. When she encourages us to stop and just breathe in the ordinary moments in life, I am inspired to do so. The simple interaction with an elderly neighbor is beautiful. Among my favorite poems here are: Hidden Treasures, This is Your Life, A Poem Falls Out of Grief on a Clear Day, and Wings."
Tandem Tales: Relative Perspectives Co-authored with my mom and fellow writer, Helen N Katz (1945-2012)
The idea for Tandem Tales is my mother’s. She said, “Let’s write a book together, each writing about projects, events and time periods we’ve shared, but we won’t look at each other’s words until our own are written.” Even after her death I’ve kept my promise. I only looked at each of her tales once I had written my own experience of the same. These are our stories.
What others are saying about Tandem Tales:
"Heidi and Helen inspire me to love my children more unselfishly, and to see each one as a precious gift, and individual."
"The book is a well-written sweet read and gives an unusual peek into the minds of two very different individuals who are not just mother and daughter, but good friends."
The idea for Tandem Tales is my mother’s. She said, “Let’s write a book together, each writing about projects, events and time periods we’ve shared, but we won’t look at each other’s words until our own are written.” Even after her death I’ve kept my promise. I only looked at each of her tales once I had written my own experience of the same. These are our stories.
What others are saying about Tandem Tales:
"Heidi and Helen inspire me to love my children more unselfishly, and to see each one as a precious gift, and individual."
"The book is a well-written sweet read and gives an unusual peek into the minds of two very different individuals who are not just mother and daughter, but good friends."
Here Now: Waking Up To My Life
Within these pages you’ll meet an old woman with the softest hands you’ve ever touched, be offered a window into a mother’s heart, graze the edges of heaven, and be invited to slow down and consider the beautiful mystery we live moment to moment. In life, if we are to be true to our Maker, we must endeavor to reverence the soul by respecting our fellow travelers and their paths, which are each unique and personal, and to be patient with our own imperfect selves. Here Now: Waking Up to My Life is a collection of vignettes sharing pieces of my journey as I strive to reach this elusive goal.
What others are saying about Here Now:
"This collection of short personal essays does more than just let us glimpse her private joys, grief, and spiritual battles; it puts us in the room with her and leaves us profoundly changed by the experience."
"Heidi lets us really feel her emotions, her hesitations, and her triumphs in ways so personal that we can't help but remember our own."
Within these pages you’ll meet an old woman with the softest hands you’ve ever touched, be offered a window into a mother’s heart, graze the edges of heaven, and be invited to slow down and consider the beautiful mystery we live moment to moment. In life, if we are to be true to our Maker, we must endeavor to reverence the soul by respecting our fellow travelers and their paths, which are each unique and personal, and to be patient with our own imperfect selves. Here Now: Waking Up to My Life is a collection of vignettes sharing pieces of my journey as I strive to reach this elusive goal.
What others are saying about Here Now:
"This collection of short personal essays does more than just let us glimpse her private joys, grief, and spiritual battles; it puts us in the room with her and leaves us profoundly changed by the experience."
"Heidi lets us really feel her emotions, her hesitations, and her triumphs in ways so personal that we can't help but remember our own."