Although I seldom write about my own experiences, often I have met people nearby, as well as in far-away places, whose experiences parallel my own. The first writing in this book is a poem, a composition from an ensemble of feelings I have experienced, and gathered into words which reflect the effect of my having been touched, or troubled, by the relationships in the planned, or chance flow of lives.I have made an effort to make clear enough, the symbolism which I use throughout the poem, as well as in some of the other writings here. During my travels, I have met many people; some interesting, others facinating. Everyone has a story. Indeed, some have many. Occasionally, actually often, I meet one who wants to tell his or her story. It seems that I attract the sort who seem to be compelled to share some part of their life experiences with me. In this book I have included only a few of the stories I have heard, or have been a witness thereto. I enjoy "picking" through stories I hear, and pulling out details which I find interesting, then I make an attempt at enhancing real experiences to the point where they almost become fiction.Robert Bertrand
